Hunting an Angel
by Tolen
Summary: What happened that night in '09 after Max fell through the ice? And what will happen in the present when Lydecker sends an X5 after her that is closer to her than the others, the one that let her escape? Takes place in the beginning of the first season.
1. Chapter 1

Gilette, Wyoming 2009

The night was cold. In fact it was so cold Major Coleman was shivering. Nevertheless the nine soldiers before him didn't show any sign of discomfort despite the fact that they only wore their green fatigues while he himself was wearing a warm parka. But then again, they were not really human soldiers, he reminded himself while looking at the nine X5 lined up before him.

It was about 2 a.m. and the Major felt tired after this more than exhausting day. They had been on a training recon mission since the afternoon and he started to feel that his body wasn't as young as it had been once. Nevertheless he still was a soldier and showed no sign of his beginning fatigue. One of the small soldiers, the team leader, stepped forward.

"Unit two awaiting your orders, sir!" he spoke, looking up to the man in uniform, his body remaining unmoving like the perfect soldier he was.

"Your mission for tonight is completed." Major Coleman spoke in a hard an authoritarian voice as always when he was talking to these children. "Although you can do better and you must do better. It took too long for X5-494 and X5-301 to reach their respective targets. You will have to improve your team's communication abilities or you force me to send you back to basic 451, understood?"

"Sir, yes sir!" It was the response he expected from the nine year old boy before him but still it scared him sometimes how these small human beings acted. Being sent back to basic would mean a hard time for the whole unit even for X5's but still none of them even flinched or did as much as look at him at this thread. But they were not human!

"Very well. You have thirty minutes to shower and hit your racks. Training tomorrow starts at 0600. If only one of you is late the whole unit will be severely punished. Now move!"

"Sir, yes sir!" X5-451 quickly saluted and the whole unit darted towards the barracks in an incredible speed.

* * *

"494! Get in your bed. Light's out in 13 minutes." X5-451 said to his fellow soldier who still stood beside his bunk with X5-301 examining his back while most of the other team members rushed to change into their nightgowns.

"He's hurt", the young girl simply stated and pointed at 494's bruised back. He had fallen during the exercise.

"It's nothing" 494 replied hastily and tried to cover his injury before his CO would see it. But 451 had already seen enough. "I will not go to the infirmary."

"If it's not better tomorrow you will and that's an order, 494", 451 stated firmly. He could not afford an injured soldier if next day's exercises should to turn out better than today. "Now get to bed, you need your rest."

"Understood."

While X5-494 and the other X5's climbed into their beds their CO, X5-451 and his 2IC X5-301 supervised the process. Thanks to their shark DNA they didn't need to sleep and had much time during night to take a shower and prepare for the next day. Exactly ten minutes later the major arrived and announced lights out. It didn't make much difference for the genetically enhanced soldiers as there was no difference for their eyes if it was night or day but somehow the instructors wanted it to be that way so there was no sense in questioning that order.

Some minutes after the major had left 451 nodded to 301 and as every night at that silent sign the girl turned towards her bunk to undress and take a shower. But before she even managed to take of her jacket an alarm went off and the whole base seemed to jump to life. The young X5's jumped out of their beds and ran to the windows. Outside the bright fingers of searchlights could be seen and they could hear the guards and instructors shouting in the distance.

"What's going on out there?" 154 asked. She was a very thin girl and was usually the most unsure soldier of the group unless they trained escape and evade in which she almost always won. "451, what's going?"

"I don't know." 451 had put his CO face back on. He was uncertain what to do. Usually the instructors would come to their barracks if there was an unannounced night mission and wake them, never before the whole base had been in such turmoil. Which could only mean one thing: Something was terribly wrong. He glanced around and made his decision. He had to assure the safety of his team and make contact with a superior officer. "301 you come with me. We have to find one of our superiors. Everybody else stay in here. Prepare for engagement but don't leave the barracks until you receive new orders. Let's go 301!"

His 2IC nodded and followed him quickly out of the room while the others started to dress. The two X5 sprinted through the empty hallways towards where the most noise was coming from. 451 had a stern look on his face. If they were attacked he would not hesitate, he told himself.

They left the building through the main entrance and quickly made their way towards some of their instructors. They were standing near the barracks of unit one seemingly agitated. Nevertheless as soon as they saw the two X5 approaching they reached for their guns and aimed at the two soldiers. 451 somewhat shocked stopped dead in his tracks. What was going on? They were here to receive orders, they were not the enemy. Did that mean that his instructors were the enemy now? If they were there was no chance of surviving. They had no weapons, no way of escape. He moved slightly before 301. Perhaps if he could shield her from the first shots she would be able to…

Before he could finish that train of thoughts a figure in black clothing pushed through the lines of the agitated officers and it took every ounce of military training for 451 not to gasp in relieve. It was the colonel, the instructor and superior officer he trusted most.

"What's going on here?" Lydecker demanded the instructors before his gaze fell on the two X5's before him but instead of anxiety or aggressiveness 451 could only see a look of surprise in his eyes. "State your designation, soldier!"

"X5-451 and X5-301, unit two, sir!" the boy answered quickly snapping at attention.

"What are you doing out here, 451?", the colonel asked his voice dangerously low. "You should be in your barracks by now."

"I know, sir, I thought we should…we…" for the first time since he could remember 451 was lost for words. He felt fear when he looked at the colonel. There was a look in his eyes he had never seen before, a dark and dangerous look. He knew that something must have happened that made his commanding officer a very dangerous man in this moment. More dangerous than usually. He concentrated on his training. "We heard the alarm and I decided to search with my 2IC for our instructors because we didn't know which procedure we had to follow in such a situation, sir!"

Lydecker looked at the young soldier before him with a stern look and 451 braced himself for the hit that had to come. He certainly had done something wrong that made the colonel angry and punishment was the logical consequence for that.

"It was a mistake to come here with your 2IC, 451" the head of the Wyoming facility finally said. "The two highest ranking officers never leave their unit together during an unknown situation."

451 shuddered invisibly. A mistake. A mistake they had been told about long ago. He already knew that the punishment would be harsh. At least he could try and protect 301.

"Sir, it wasn't 301's mistake. I ordered her to come with me as the rest of our unit wasn't ready to…"

"Did I allow you to speak, soldier?" barked Lydecker and this time 451 did flinch. "Did I?"

"No, sir." It was barely a whisper. He looked down at the snow at his feet while he could feel 301 stepping closer, a small sign of comfort.

"Then you don't talk. And you step away from him, 301! Eyes straight, 451!"

For a few seconds Lydecker looked at them when suddenly a new idea came to his mind.

"Now, 451, why did you leave your barracks and came here?"

"To make contact with a superior officer and to receive new orders, sir!"

"Very well. Then let me get this straight. We do have a situation here. Unit one is trying to desert as we speak. We do not know yet if it's the whole unit or not but until now they have attacked several guards and are apparently going north, trying to reach the perimeter." The two X5 looked at him, astonished. The other X5 unit tried to desert? "You are to track them down and bring them back but you are not to go outside the perimeter even if an X5 of unit one does. Furthermore you are to follow every order a guard or an officer gives you, understood?"

"Sir, yes sir!" they replied in unison.

"Good. This is not an exercise, soldiers, if you find them, bring them back. If possible alive, but if necessary you use every kind of force that is needed. Now move. MOVE!"

Without another word the two small soldiers darted towards north following the trails the fugitives had left in the snow. Last they heard Lydecker talking into his radio set: "This is Lydecker. There are two X5 of unit two pursuing unit one, I repeat, two X5 of unit two are in pursuit. They're the only ones wearing cammo, do not stop them, they're out there on my order."

Running through the woods 451 could not help but smile at the fact that it was 301 that was with him. The two of them were the best at search and destroy and he knew he could not have chosen a better partner for this mission. His adrenaline was running high and he felt his senses being sharper than he could ever remember. This was a real mission against a real enemy. There would be no instructor shouting stop if things got out of hand tonight. He knew that they had to be precautious, unit one X5's were highly trained soldiers as he and 301 were, whether they were deserters or not they were a grave danger.

It didn't take them long to find they're targets' rally point. Apparently from there they'd split up. 451 searched his dark environment for a sign where to go and finally chose one trail of footprints to follow but he didn't have much hope of getting one of their targets anymore, they just had been much too fast. They quickly approached the fence when they saw several of Manticore's special ops soldiers standing around a Humvee. There was no sign of the rogue X5's so they approached the vehicle and stood at attention before the colonel.

"Sir, X5-451 and 301 reporting, sir."

"Did you find them?"

"Negative, sir. They must already have gotten over the fence. Permission to continue pursuit?"

"Negative. I cannot let you go out of the fence." Lydecker sighed heavily. "Go back to your barracks and wait there."

"Sir, yes sir!"

The two soldiers turned around and started to jog back to the facility. After a minute or so 301 suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. At his curious glance she mentioned for the small and now frozen up lake. He followed her gaze and then he saw it. Somebody had broken through the ice; the traces were very well visible. But there were also tracks that this person had emerged from the water again and had gone in direction of the perimeter. Immediately the two were back in their combat mode. 301 carefully approached the hole in the ice and eyed the tracks, then mentioned towards a small groups of fir trees. Slowly they followed the track always ready to be attacked. Nevertheless 301 didn't stand a chance. Without a sound a small figure in a grey nightgown dropped from a tree right on top of her and knocked her out before she did even know their enemy was there. Seeing his 2IC fall 451 didn't hesitate a second and attacked the rogue X5. They exchanged some blows and kicks strong enough to seriously injure a normal human until 451 seemed to get the upper hand. He was fully clothed and his body ready for a fight while his opponent wore only a nightgown and was apparently weakened by the cold and the involuntary bath in the lake. Suddenly one of his jackboots connected in a brutal low-kick with his opponent's thigh. The rogue X5 yelped in pain and fell to the ground and in one swift move 451 had his enemy in a firm headlock and started to press on the other one's windpipe to cut off the respiration. As soon as his opponent would be unconscious he would be able to care about 301 and then bring back the deserter back to the base.

That was when he finally really looked in his adversaries eyes and in that moment he knew that he would never forget what he saw there. He had expected anger, hate, desperation perhaps even surrender or defiance. But all he saw was fear. The eyes were almost black, filled with a sort of terror that was unknown to him. These were the eyes of a living being that was afraid to death of what might come now. It was more than the shock he had seen when 648 had dropped dead during their morning run because of a heart failure, more than he had seen when 301 had been injured during their shooting exercises. This was the ultimate terror of somebody that knew exactly that what was coming was too much to bear for body and soul, the fear of the coming and the knowledge of a horrible death itself.

He was so shocked himself by that look that he gasped and immediately released his adversary from his grip and stumbled back until he fell to the ground. He felt fear gripping his heart from what he had just seen. He had never known before that a feeling like the one he had just seen existed. He didn't know what to do, didn't dare to move.

His enemy suddenly sat up in a fluent move and looked sternly at him. It was a girl, not older that himself. He could see that she still had some trouble breathing but she was recovering fast. They just starred at each other for several minutes until she finally spoke:

"Why did you do that?"

He didn't answer. His military training told him that communication with the enemy was not allowed. She moved slightly towards him and he backed off even more, bringing his hands up in some sort of a fighting stance and she stopped but didn't take her eyes off him.

"Why did you do that?" she repeated. Apparently she was as confused as he was.

"Do what?"

"Release me."

"I don't know." It was the truth. He didn't know. He'd had her. And yet he had backed off without a reason he could explain.

"You're from unit two" she stated the obvious. He just nodded. She seemed to think intensely. Finally she added: "Come with me."

"No!" The answer was out of his mouth before he could really think.

"You will get killed here!" she exclaimed but calmed down quickly. "We must go."

"I can't. We belong here. We don't even know what's out there."

For a moment they sat in silence until she shifted and stood up. He followed her example.

"Come with me" she repeated softly but he only shook his head.

"I will stay. Go."

"Why do you let me go?"

"I don't know. I think I saw something…something in your eyes…just go."

She finally nodded and turned around but she only got a few meters away before she turned around and came back.

"What's your name?"

"X5-451."

"That's your designation. You know, we all need names. My name is Max. You don't have one?"

He shook his head.

"Then I will call you Wolf" she said after a moment of thinking. "The way you fight and talk. It's somewhat calm and still strong. Wolf it is."

"Thank you" he replied confused. A name?

"Good luck, you will need it."

"Wait! What's your designation?"

"X5-452. But I'd prefer Max. Farewell!"

And with that she ran off. It was only when she had gotten about twenty meters away that she stopped one last time and looked at him. He was pretty sure she smiled sadly when she silently mouthed to him: 'Thank you.' And then she was gone.

He shook his head and turned around to take care of 301 when it suddenly hit him that he had just met his biological sister.

* * *

That was the prologue. Like it? Hate it? Reviews are life!


	2. Chapter 2

Yadda :) Thank you all for your reviews! It makes a writer feel good!!!

**ASHLEYVASJ123:** There probably will be some M/A in this story but you'll have to wait some chapters for that.

**cOOkieMonster:** Thanks:) I hope you'll love this one too.

**Divine Fighter:** Same for you. Thanks a lot.

**tylee17:** Well, I've always thought if there is a 453 why shouldn't there be a 451? I hope I can keep up with the whole family thing that certainly will evole with Max and 451. But well, we will see. Thank you.

**Taeniaea:** Thanks. I hope you're still reading.

To all of you thank you for your reviews. Keeps motivating me :)

**

* * *

****Seattle, the present**

Max was furious. She was absolutely sure this day couldn't go anywhere more FUBAR than it already had. First there had been Normal who of course couldn't hold back his usual bickering. Of course on a normal day she could have coped with that. But in the last few weeks things had been a little rough so it had taken all of her self-control not to bite of his head and lose the only job that was available to her at moment. Second one of Logan's Eyes Only missions had turned out to be much more difficult meaning that she had been dealing with a dozen armed mob gangsters instead of two or three of the usual idiots and last but not least one of Lydeckers commandos had come much too close for her comfort and she had ended up running through the most filthy streets of this city which resulted in her clothing to be an absolutely stinky mess. No this day couldn't become any worse but at least now she was at home and hopefully next morning there would be some sort of silver strife at the horizon.

She took of her dirty clothes and tossed them into the laundry basket and went into the bathroom to wash herself. For a moment she even considered taking a bath but all the effort it would take her to prepare enough hot water was too much for her, even with being an X5 and disciplined and all. She was just too worn out.

When she exited the bathroom she finally felt somewhat clean and almost her usual self when the phone rang. She groaned and picked it up.

"Yes?" she asked quite harshly. This better had to be important.

"Max?" Logan's voice.

"Who else should it be?"

"Is everything okay?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well" he replied a little bit uncertain because of her aggressive voice, "I just wanted to know that everything is okay after that incident tonight."

"Incident?" That guy had nerves. "Those mafia bullies were trying to make swiss cheese out of me! You bet your ass this was everything but just an incident, Logan!"

"Look, I'm sorry, my intel wasn't correct. It won't happen again!"

"Damn right!" she snorted.

"I'm really sorry; it was not supposed to happen like that. I really thought it would be easy recon." He truly sounded sorry and Max silently acknowledged that even the big Eyes Only could make miscalculations even she didn't see. But she was too angry with him at the moment to say that out loud.

"It was a long night, Logan, and I have to work tomorrow." Poor excuse, he knew she hardly ever needed to sleep, but she didn't care. "Goodnight, Logan."

"Wait", he exclaimed, "don't just…"

But it was too late and he all heard was the dial tone. Sighing he considered letting her rest and calm down a little bit would be the best thing now.

Max on the other side wasn't about to rest at all. She was still full of adrenaline and decided that perhaps a trip to her own high place would help her coming down a little. It was not long after that that the sound of a Ninja could be heard through the mostly deserted streets of Seattle.

* * *

At the same time but on the outside of the city a black helicopter landed within a small military compound. There were a few tents and a couple of black Humvees illuminated by mobile floodlights. Some soldiers could be seen standing around and talking while others were hidden around the small base and doing their guard duty.

Two soldiers in desert camouflage suits jumped out of the helicopter as soon as it had touched the ground grabbed their gear and walked towards the tent in the middle. The first one was a young woman about twenty. She had her black hair in a military haircut and intense green eyes. Her tall and slender figure seemed almost too small for the military clothes she wore but the way she walked and the fact that she had her eyes always focused straight ahead told any bystander that this woman was a lot more dangerous than a first look would give away.

The same could be said for the man that followed her. He was the same age and had the same hair color and haircut but his eyes were of a cold grey. He was slightly taller than his companion but he moved exactly the same way she did and as with her there was an aura of danger around him. They were predators; everybody around them who looked intensely enough could see that. But the other soldiers knew that they were not in danger from the newly arrived X5, after all they were their predators, so they only acknowledged them from time to time with a small nod before turning back to their own respective business.

The two entered the tent in the center of the base and stood at attention before the only desk that whs in the middle of them.

"X5-451 and X5-301 reporting as ordered, sir!" the man barked.

Lydecker looked up from his laptop and scrutinized his two top soldiers. They looked slightly odd with their desert camo on. They looked fine but their mission report he had before him told him otherwise.

"At ease, soldiers", he finally ordered. "I heard you got wounded, 451?"

"Yes, sir! Bullet in my left shoulder. It went right through and should be good within a few days. I'm still operational."

The colonel nodded in agreement. Even his kids got shot sometimes - they were not gods after all – and Teheran was definitely not a nice place to be these days.

"I'm glad to hear that. Both of you deserve some rest but I have a new assignment for you." He pulled out a photo and handed it over to them. "This was taken a few days ago during an operation of the federal police in Seattle."

The picture had been taken with night vision gear and showed a slender woman with shoulder length and dark curly hair.

"We believe it's X5-452."

"Has she been located yet?" 301 asked but the colonel shook his head silently pleased with the way they took the unexpected news.

"Negative. The feds lost her that's why you two are here. Your mission is to find 452 and bring her back. Alive."

"Is there any information where we should start looking, sir?" 451 was looking intensely at the picture. It didn't give them much. Neither her face nor any special marks were recognizable.

"Not exactly, but you can assume she will not hide in the open. She knows we're after her. You will have no backup for this mission, we will move back to Gilette tomorrow. If absolutely necessary you are to contact me directly. Questions?"

"None, sir" the two X5 answered in unison.

"Very well. Then I have one: Will it be a problem for you to go after a '09er?"

"No, sir" 451 answered immediately.

"No, sir. We'll bring her home" 301 responded a little bit more kindly. She didn't show it but she looked forward to bring one of her siblings - even if it was a rogue sister of another unit - home where they all belonged.

"Good. Contact Sergeant Major Donohue, he has all of your equipment ready. Dismissed."

The two soldiers saluted and left silently.

* * *

The next day Max was on her bike on an early morning run when suddenly she had a strange feeling. It was nothing she could put her finger on but she felt like something bad was going to happen. She quickly glanced around but there was nothing suspicious. She shook her head and continued her route. Perhaps she was just getting too antsy.


	3. Chapter 3

First of all I might have to say that English is not my native language. So if you find mistakes tell me so I can correct them.

Second: Thanks again for your reviews. Seems like I've lost some readers in the last chaper, but I hope their still out there. For those who did review:

**tylee17:** Meeting is the right word but somehow I'm afraid Max will not be pleased to meet that part of her family. Well, read and find out :)

**throwerpro:** Welcome on board and thank you very much. Hope you like this chapter, too.

Thanks again and here we go!

* * *

Crash was crowded as always when Max arrived several hours later. After her latest run for Jam Pony she had decided to give the whole Logan-based problem a break and have some fun for a change. Once inside the bar she was greeted by the loud buzz of music and people chattering. She quickly spotted OC, Herbal, Sketchy and a few others she knew from work sitting around a table drinking the horrible stuff that went for beer these days. She made her way over without paying attention to the other people around her drinking, talking, yelling or simply starring at something with empty eyes.

"Hey, boo!" Original Cindy greeted her smiling, "I've started to give up hope. Glad you're here!"

The others welcomed her too and after she'd found a nearby chair and got herself a glass all the friendly bickering and laughing amongst her friends let her almost forget her lousy day, the constant stress she was under because of that bastard Lydecker and all the unsolved issues between her and Logan. Looking around and seeing Herbal's calm but confident face, Sketchy's almost childlike simplicity and most of all her best friend Original Cindy made her feel good. These were the moments she treasured most. They were short and rare but being with her friends – people she knew she could trust with almost everything – showed her that not everything and everybody was bad. It kept her going.

After an hour or so she stood up.

"Right back", she just said before heading towards the restroom. On her way there she passed by an ugly guy in his forties who eyed her with a greedy look.

"Hey suga" he prattled obviously drunk. "'Ow 'bout the two o'us?"

"Not even if you were the last man on earth" Max replied disgusted. Without a second look she took the stairs down to the cellar and entered the restroom. When she left it again she didn't even make it to the stairs before somebody was blocking her way. It was the same drunk guy that had tried to hit on her before. His eyes were red and he reeked of alcohol. It seemed like he had followed her.

"You 'ere not nice up 'ere, suga" he snarled looking at her. Max could only look at him with a mixture of disgust and pity.

"Get out of my way, cowboy, or I'll make you. And by the way: start developing a personality!"

It wasn't the smartest thing for a young woman her age to irritate some drunk idiot but for an X5 her age it was a great possibility to vent some anger. And perhaps it would even teach this moron a lesson. As she had expected he reached out for her and tried to grab her collar. Even sober he wouldn't have had a chance but in his current state it was almost ridiculous. Max caught his hand and twisted it. Her opponent screamed in surprise and pain before she threw him face first against the wall knocking him out cold.

She looked at him for some seconds and had to admit that the feeling that was running through her was a good one. Perhaps she should do this more often. She heard a low chuckle and turned around. Behind her stood a woman about her age who just got out of the restroom. Very short hair, green eyes and a black leather jacket. She looked from Max to the still unconscious drunkard back to Max.

"Nice work" she said with a friendly grin obviously very amused before she went past Max and up the stairs back to the bar's main room. Max grinned back and followed the unknown woman a few seconds later.

"Told you so, cowboy" was the last thing she said before leaving the area of her latest entertainment.

* * *

301 made her way back to her table and 451 in a calm but quick manner. She sat down and leaned closer to him and he did the same, like some flirting couple would do. He already knew something was wrong but she couldn't risk telling him with signs. So she just put on a fake smile and nuzzled against him even more while the woman she just met downstairs walked past them.

"What is it?" he inquired playing along. They'd done things like this often and he was well aware of how a seemingly flirting couple could avoid any sort of interest.

"Target located" she whispered quietly. "The woman in the black jacket that just walked past us."

He did his best to hide his surprise and followed the person from the corner of his eyes but quickly returned his attention to the woman snuggled up against him. It was a nice feeling having her so close but he quickly chased that thought away. They were on a mission. "Sure?"

"She just knocked out a guy twice her size without breaking a sweat" 301 assured him. "And besides that I just know. It's her."

451 nodded. "We should go. We'll wait for her outside."

Without another word they rose from their chairs and left the bar clinging close enough to each other to dispel any doubts somebody could have about them not being a couple. Before closing the door behind him he shot a quick glance to the woman who was now sitting at her table again with some ordinaries who seemed to be her friends. It was possible. Yes, definitely possible and for the rest he would trust 301's instincts.

Outside the Crash they quickly found a place in the shadows to hide. They agreed to follow the target person when she left the building until there would be a good chance to surprise her. 451 felt better than during the whole week. They were close now, very close.

About an hour later the target, X5-452, left the bar accompanied by the Afro-American woman she'd been with during the evening. They went to a black Ninja and 452 started the engine. 301 muttered something that didn't sound very nice. With a motorbike chances were good their target would elude them and the predator inside her was not about to let that happen. As soon as the two women had left the two X5 sprinted out of the shadows towards their own machines and went after the them. Fortunately the colonel had thought about the best means of transport and in a city like Seattle bikes were really the best thing to travel fast.

Although they'd lost track of their target for a few moments they quickly found it again. It didn't seem like 452 had noticed them but she still drove very fast. It wasn't a long ride, though. After about fifteen minutes she stopped before a huge apartment building. Immediately her two pursuers came to a halt too and got off their bikes.

"You'll see, boo, it's the right thing to do." The Afro-American sounded like she wanted convince her companion of something.

"I don't know" answered 452 while they were walking towards the entrance. "Isn't it a little bit too late for something like that?"

"Ah, just cut it. For a little small talk it's never too late."

That was the last thing 451 heard before the two women entered the building and went to the elevator. He waited a few seconds before he sprinted towards the entrance himself and opened the door. His eyes searched for the elevator and the display above.

"They entered the penthouse" he told 301 who stood beside him. "I want to know who lives there, what he does and if he's a possible threat to our mission."

301 nodded and dialed a number on her cell phone. It was clear that this was not their targets home. No X5 on the run from Manticore would choose a penthouse to stay permanently. While the female X5 quickly searched for her information 451 tried to familiarize with this new environment. As he could see the elevator and a fire escape were the only possibilities to leave the building. There was a possibility for their target to jump out of the window but if they acted quickly enough he was sure they could block that way of escape. Finally 301 hang up.

"The apartment belongs to a man called Logan Cale. He's living alone. Apparently he doesn't have a regular job as his family is the owner of the Cale Corporation. He's a paraplegic after a shooting incident some months ago. I'm sorry, that's all I could get."

"Does he have experience with firearms?" That whole shooting incident thing made him a little bit cautious."

"Unknown. I might add that the building has its own security service." 301 watched her CO patiently, giving him time to think. It was clear that he was calculating the risks if they attacked now. There were at least three persons in that apartment now, one a highly trained rogue X5, a paraplegic who perhaps had knowledge and training in using weapons and a woman they knew nothing about. Apart from that they did not know the insides of this penthouse and whether there were any sorts of weaponry or not. The whole situation was far from perfect but the fact that the target had almost no possibility of escape was more than tempting. "What are we doing?"

"We're going in." Together they got into the elevator only seconds later. When the doors closed and their short ride up to the penthouse and her target began 301 could feel how the adrenaline began to pulsate through her body. She had fought countless times against different enemies but never before she had to face an X5 who most certainly would fight to the death. She could feel that 451 was looking at her with concern and flashed him a quick and reassuring smile. He had his own problems and didn't need to worry about her nervousness, too. They reached the penthouse and 451 knocked. Inside the voices of at least two different persons could be heard and somebody came closer to the door.

"What is it?" A male voice, most probably the voice of that Logan Cale.

"Seattle Police Department, sir", 301 answered in her official voice. "There seems to be a problem with your car. Please open the door."

It was an old trick and letting a female do the talking usually made it easier to get someone to open the door. Of course they could just kick it in but they didn't want to warn their target. The lock finally clicked and a man with glasses and brown hair in a wheelchair opened. Before he could even open his mouth 451 knocked him out with a single but brutal blow. The guy fell out of his chair and to the floor but the two X5 didn't care; he would survive. They rushed past the fallen figure towards the living room where they could sense the presence of the two women. As soon as they entered their target jumped up and got into her fighting stance while the other one was just too surprised and shocked to react at the moment. 301 had been right: It was 452. The way she reacted to the unexpected intruders, her fighting stance and the fact that she didn't lose time with questions told the two soldiers everything they needed to know.

Before the rogue X5 could do as much as think about escaping 451 attacked her. He had a gun just like his partner but they didn't want to use it. Their orders were to bring back the rogue X5 alive. 301 wanted to charge too but out of the corner of her eyes she saw a movement and without thinking she lashed out at the unexpected person that suddenly appeared. Her instincts saved her live. The moment her jackboot connected with her new opponents arm the gun in his hands went off but instead of killing her the bullet went into the ceiling and the gun dropped to the floor. The female X5 used the short distraction of her enemy to twist his arm and knocking him out.

In the mean time 451 had done a good job in driving Max away from the windows, blocking her only way of escape. He was better trained and in better shape than her and it was quite clear that this battle would end soon with her defeat. Even the short distraction that Bling caused by firing his weapon wasn't enough for her to gain an advantage and only seconds after that 451 managed to throw her off balance and sent her stumbling to the floor. She groaned in pain and her vision blurred for a moment. He moved to finally finish this fight when he suddenly heard the sound of a second shot and felt a strong blow against his back. Almost immediately he recognized the smell of blood in his mouth but nevertheless he turned around to face the woman that had accompanied 452. She had picked up the gun that bodyguard had dropped and aimed at him slightly shivering but her eyes full of determination but also fear. Before he could do anything the woman – Original Cindy, as he would later learn – squeezed the trigger again and the next thing he knew was an incredible pain on the right side of his head. He fell to the floor, his mind filled with agony and he felt how close he was to unconsciousness. He tried to fight back the darkness but knew that he was failing.

When 301 heard the second shot she whirled around letting Bling fall to the floor. She watched in horror the blood that slowly began to drip from 451's back but before she could decide what to do Original Cindy fired another shot and her partner – her brother – fell to the floor clutching his head.

"NO! Wolf!" she exclaimed and took a step forward wanting to help him. A sudden movement from the woman with the gun who turned and aimed at her made her stop.

For some seconds the whole room seemed to freeze while nobody moved until 451 moaned in pain and his unfocused gaze searched for her eyes.

"Kyla. Run." he whispered barely audible but 301 starred at him with disbelief. He would die if she'd let him here now.

"Don't move", Original Cindy snarled still sitting on the couch but Bling's gun firmly pointed at the unknown woman. She'd never thought her time in the military would come in handy this evening but you never know. She was afraid and unsure what to do next but she sure as hell wouldn't…

"OC, don't." It was Max who spoke. She had gotten back up and wanted to prevent her friend shooting the second attacker, she didn't want Original Cindy to have to live with the knowledge of having killed someone. Her voice caused OC to look at her which gave 301 more than enough time. Without thinking she sprinted through the living room and jumped right through the window. Behind her she could hear a surprised gasp before she sailed through the air amongst the shattered glass and landed safely several floors below the penthouse. It broke her heart to leave 451 behind but there was no alternative at the moment. As soon as she had regained her composure she looked up. There she saw X5-452 looking down at her. For a moment it almost seemed like she was confused before she signaled in Manticore's sign language: _'If you call in reinforcements, he dies. Call us!'_

301 gritted her teeth and answered in the same way: _'Understood. But if he dies, you die!'_

She starred up to the rogue X5 in pure anger before she turned and sprinted away into the darkness.

* * *

See that button below? Yeah? Click on it, please :)


	4. Chapter 4

Here we go again.

First of all a little warning: I do absolutely **not** agree with everything Lydecker is doing. But I have to admit that he is a great military leader and from his military point of view he's right about what he's doing. And I also think he really cares about the X-series - not only about Max but also about all the others - but as their superior he cannot show it. Once again: I do not agree with everything but als the tactical head of Manticore he's doing his job. Sorry if that offends you, but that's the officer in me speaking. I will give him a chance to change his mind during this ff but you'll have to give him a little bit of time ;)

**tylee17:** Thank you for your inputs (no offense taken!) I know the second chapter was not that good but I had to move on. And of course I'll do about the mistakes what I can.

About OC firing two shots: If I just shot somebody in the back and he's turning around looking at me and not going down I think I would fire a second one too. Don't know exactly but hey, somehow I had to knock him out ;)

Hope you're still out there :)

**throwerpro:** Welcome back and thank you! Well, about what's gonna happen: read and find out ;)

* * *

Max watched the unknown woman run away. It was the same woman she had met earlier this evening and she had no doubt she and her partner had been looking for her from the beginning. She knew that being an X5 on the run meant constant danger but she hated Manticore for even endangering her friends. That brought her back to reality. She turned around and went to Original Cindy who still had Bling's gun in her hand and stared down at the unmoving body of her attacker.

"OC" Max addressed her softly, "It's ok, OC, give me the gun."

Although her friend didn't seem to like the idea of handing over her only weapon she nodded silently and Max took the gun, switching its safety on and putting it on the kitchen table. Original Cindy stood up and brought some space between her and the young man – Max was already sure he was an X5 – before she went to Bling and knelt down at his side. Apparently she wasn't quite as shocked as Max had feared which was a very big relief for her but it also reminded her of something.

"Logan!" she called out and ran towards the door but not without a last glance to her unmoving enemy to be sure he wasn't a threat at the moment.

"Ouch" was the groaned answer she got when she arrived at Logan's side. He was awake but had a pained expression on his face. "What the hell happened?"

"X5's", she answered in a low voice while helping him back in his wheelchair. She didn't want OC to find out about her true nature; to be honest she was scared what would happen if her friend would ever find out. Logan could see that fear in her eyes and just nodded reassuringly. He was already thinking of a way to explain this more than frightening incident to Max's co-worker. They went back to the living room where Bling was sitting on the floor massaging his forehead with Original Cindy still at his side. At their entrance the two looked up.

"What the hell was that about?" OC asked. She had been quiet and controlled during the last minutes but she was still more than nervous; after all she just shot at somebody.

"I don't know" was Max's only answer before she left Logan's side and went over to the fallen X5. Logan was quick to give OC some much needed answers, even if he usually hated lying.

"They were perhaps sent by someone I know" he offered. At OC's questioning look he added: "Not everybody likes the way I'm handling things."

It wasn't the answer OC had been hoping for and she was far from being satisfied but it seemed to be enough to calm her down for the moment.

Meanwhile Max had knelt down at the unknown X5's side. She knew something the other one, the woman, had shouted was familiar to her but she couldn't remember what exactly it had been. The first bullet had hit him in the back. Blood was dripping out of the wound and she could hear that his breathing while very low was unsteady; one of his lungs was possibly hurt. The second bullet had been a grazing shot to his right temple. Half of his face was covered in blood but he had been extremely lucky; a little bit more to the left and they wouldn't have to worry about a wounded but about a dead X5 in Logan's living room. She slightly turned his head and looked at the barcode on his neck. That was when everything made sense. She gasped in surprise and shock. X5-451. Her biological brother, the one that…

A pained moan interrupted her thoughts. 451 opened his eyes but he didn't seem to recognize his environment; perhaps he had a concussion.

"Why are you here?" Max demanded to know while surprised by the harshness in her own voice. She knew there was not much place for speculations: They were either here because somebody at Manticore had learned about Logan's Eyes Only activities – which was highly implausible – or good old Lydecker sent them to capture her and bring her back. When the wounded X5 didn't answer she grabbed him by she shoulders. "Why are you here?!"

451 gasped in pain and tried to get out of her grip but was too weak. Still Max let him go. OC didn't hit him in the shoulder, did she? No, she didn't, which meant he had already been hurt before their little encounter. Before she could ask him again 451 closed his eyes and fell back into unconsciousness. She let go of him and stood up. There was still an X5 out there and to get rid of her she needed her partner alive.

"OC, could you bring Bling to the bathroom?" Logan asked sensing Max's need to talk to him freely without her unsuspecting friend around. "There should be some painkillers and maybe you'll find some ice in the kitchen."

"Ok. Come on, big guy!" Original Cindy agreed and helped Bling back to his feet. He was still kind of wobbly but with OC's help they made it out of the room.

"Max, what are you up to?" Logan wanted to know as soon as they were alone.

"We must move. I told the other one not to call for reinforcements but if she's following her training – and she will follow her training – she is talking to Lydecker right now even though I told her we would kill him."

"Max!"

"Relax. He's more useful to us alive anyway."

"How did they find you?"

"I don't know. Until now they've never sent X5's after us but apparently Deck has grown tired of being outrun all the time." She removed 451's jacket and shirt and inspected the wound before she muttered something that didn't sound very ladylike. "Listen, I need you to call Sam."

"Sam? But…"

"He's losing a lot of blood, the bullet's still stuck in his body and it seems one of his lungs just collapsed. Even an X5 can't survive that without proper medical treatment and we need him alive." After a few seconds of hesitation she added: "I won't let him die."

"Sam won't like that." Logan chose to ignore her last comment.

"I know, but we can't bring him to a hospital. Most of the police are stupid and ignorant but a guy with a gunshot wound will certainly raise their suspicions and apart from that we would lose our advantage; we couldn't control him there."

"Where are we going?"

"One of Eyes Only's safe houses. Tell Sam to bring along what he needs for an emergency operation. And to come alone." She tried her best to stop the blood loss.

"What about Bling and Original Cindy?"

"They must go home as quickly as they can. That attack wasn't planned, they improvised it. Which means they most certainly do not know where we live, except for you, sorry about that. The other one is alone and standard procedure would be that she has to contact command before she does anything else which gives us perhaps about an hour."

Logan listened to her with an odd mixture of admiration and reservation. This was one of the rare moments he could see the Max Manticore wanted to raise: A soldier, a leader in combat. She had an answer to every question and knew the actions that had to be taken without hesitation. Finally he nodded and dialed a number on his cell phone. He didn't have to wait long until he heard a tired voice on the other end.

"Sam? It's Logan. Listen, I know it's late but I need you to do me a favor."

* * *

Donald Lydecker didn't like paperwork. In fact the highly decorated colonel hated it. But being one of the most senior officers in one of the governments most secret military programs meant doing a lot of it. He sighed and signed another report – the last for the evening – and stood up. He'd had a strange feeling during the whole day, one he couldn't explain but knew very well. He'd felt it before. One of his operations wasn't going well. In his mindd he quickly went through all the missions running at the moment and decided that it was most likely the one X5-451 was in charge of. His target, 452 – Max – had proven to be a worthy adversary. He should be proud of that, by the way, after all it had been him who trained that girl.

He picked up the phone and dialed a number. He had told 451 only to call him if absolutely necessary but that was one of the bright sides of being a superior officer: You didn't have to explain your actions to your subordinates. To his surprise 451's phone was turned off. He frowned and immediately dialed the number of 301. She on the other side was very quick to answer.

"X5-301 reporting, sir."

"This is Lydecker. Why does 451 not answer his phone?"

"He's on observation, sir. Maybe he turned it off to avoid detection."

"When do you expect him back?"

"In fifteen hours, sir. We split up to cover a larger ground." That was unlikely.

"Is everything okay, soldier?"

"Yes, sir. We have not been able to locate the target, yet, but it's only a matter of time."

She sounded normal but there still was the odd feeling.

"State verification code Golf!" he ordered. It was a standard procedure for every soldier. If she'd been taken hostage or was under any kind of pressure 301 could give him a false code and he would be able to send out a rescue team without any possible enemy being aware of her warning.

"Verification code Golf is: Delta Sierra 5 Tango Echo."

The code was correct. "Very well, soldier. Carry on."

He hung up and exhaled sharply. The feeling was still there but everything seemed to be okay. Sometimes he felt that he had a tendency to care too much about his children. Or perhaps he was just getting old. He smiled at that thought and made his way to the mess. A hot coffee would do him good.

* * *

In Seattle X5-301 was still looking at her cell phone in shock. What had she done? Not only had she not followed standard procedure and called the colonel immediately after she'd reached a safe distance from their target, she had also lied to a superior officer about her mission status and had abused an official verification code. She couldn't rationally explain her behavior. She'd been alone on missions before, had even seen one of her fellow X5 die in battle on one occasion but never before she had felt so lost and so frustrated like now after she had to leave 451 behind. She would never admit it to him or even her superior officers but she liked 451 in a way that she knew Manticore would never allow. They had been close to each other since they were children – closer than to the other members of her unit – and most of their missions they had been paired up together. She had never thought of the possibility of losing him until now and the mere idea of never seeing him again, being close to him or hearing his sometimes sarcastic but yet gentle voice scared her in a way she didn't understand.

She wished the colonel was there at the moment. He would know what to do. He would call her 'soldier' and made her do right. But she knew she couldn't call him now. First he would have to order her to abort her mission for her failure earlier and then a rescue team would be sent which would most certainly mean death for 451. No X5 – even an operator as experienced as her partner – was valuable enough to risk losing him or his corpse to the enemy. The rescue team would attack X5-452 and her allies with one brutal strike, wiping them out and the chance for 451 to survive such an attack were less than just small. It was what had to be done and even the colonel who she knew was caring deeply about his X5 would not be able to prevent it.

She stared up at the penthouse of the Foggle Towers and anger – hate – filled her eyes. There was no way in hell she would leave her post now. If there was a way to rescue Wolf – No! X5-451 – she would find it even if it meant that she had to kill her target.

She tried to decide what to do next when suddenly a SUV left the building's garage and drove towards sector three. She could see that Logan Cale was driving while the passenger seat was empty. In the back seat was X5-452 bent over somebody she couldn't see but hoped it was 451. She started her motorbike and followed the car at a safe distance. She may have lost a battle, but war was far from being over.

* * *

What do you think? Please let me know and review!


	5. Chapter 5

Hello everybody and sorry for the delay (note to myself: never again volunteer to be on guard duty).

**Divine Figher: **Of course 451 will be alright. Can't let him die already, can I? ;)

**tylee17:** Thanks again! And by the way: I would never ignore one of your comments, you were probably right about the way Max acted. Well, I'll have to make sure I don't make the same mistake again. But yeah, I really think she cares about every X5, not only about her own old unit. so: kudos back!!

**Alan Grey:** Welcome and thanks to you too. I hope I can keep up the storyline as planned. And by the way: who said they will defect? Nah, kidding, but it could take a while. About the names: Will be revealed later.

Hope you're all still out there. Read and enjoy!

**

* * *

**

**Eyes Only Safe House**

The old house was surprisingly quiet given the fact Max and Sam Carr were operating the male transgenetic – Max had told him his designation was X5-451 – in the next room. Logan shook his head and resumed his post at the window. Not that there was much to see for it was only about 4 a.m.

He'd been surprised they made it to the safe house he used for his activities as cyber journalist Eyes Only without complications. After Bling and OC had left the building – with the later complaining and wanting to stay with Max – he and his transgenic friend got to the garage and left the building in his SUV with Max in the backseat trying to stabilize 451. Surprisingly they made it past the sector police and when Max had been sure nobody was following them they made their way here and she dragged the wounded X5 upstairs. The furniture was modest. A bed, a small table and a chair in the room where Max had brought 451 and a table with a small reading lamp, a couch and a waste bin in the room where Logan had chosen to stay and a small bathroom.

While waiting Logan had set up his laptop and wired his cell phone. If Max was right the female X5 – or more likely Lydecker himself would find out his number and track the phone to find the missing soldier. But Logan was more than able to avoid detection via computer networks and other electronic tracking and he had made sure nobody was able to find them now. At least not if he was trying to locate his phone.

Soon after that Sam Carr got there too. He had been in a bad mood and Logan knew he owned his friend big time. It wasn't every day you would call a doctor during his work and ask him to come over and operate a young man who just got shot by your friend's co-worker. Nevertheless after Sam had seen 451's condition his mood switched from angry to professional. Quickly he had set up the few medical instruments he'd been able to bring with him without raising suspicions at the hospital.

When he started his work with Max assisting him Logan had excused himself and left the room. He would challenge the most brutal and powerful mafia boss without hesitation but the sight of a human upper body covered in blood and two of his friend's performing an emergency operation wasn't something he was eager to witness.

For the next two hours he'd been looking out for somebody approaching the building or any other sign of their enemies making their appearance although his subconscious mind kept telling him that it was a futile attempt. If the other X5 or Lydecker or – worst case – both of them would find out about their location he would notice them much too late. He knew that an X5 was able to move without making a sound and the special ops soldiers that were at the colonel's command were well trained too. But still he kept staring out of that window into the night and the hardly illuminated streets.

At the sound of footsteps behind him he turned his wheelchair and got aware of Sam standing there. The doctor looked tired and Logan could see the exhaustion in his eyes. He had some traces of half-dried blood on his dark blue sweater and still wore his medical gloves.

"How did it go?" Logan asked and was surprised how throaty his voice sounded after more than two hours without speaking a word.

"He will live." Sam sighed and took of the stained gloves and tossed them into the waste bin. "I've removed the bullet from his body and stopped the bleeding. The injury on his head isn't dangerous but I think he has a concussion. He will have to rest for a while. But listen, I really think you should bring him to the hospital."

"That's not possible, Sam, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, right. Now you listen. I know you're a good man and that girl in there is a good person too, that's why I agreed to come here but…" Sam looked at him intensely. "I know there's something special about her but what I've seen…she acted like a trained corpsman in there. This wasn't the first time she has seen and treated a gunshot wound."

He rubbed his eyes before looking at Logan again.

"I really hope you know what you're doing because this was the first and the last time I've done something like that for you. If anybody asks me where I've been in the last three hours I will tell him that I've been at home looking television. I can't afford to lose my job. You're on your own now."

"I understand" Logan nodded. "I don't want to get you into trouble but we didn't know who else we could ask. I will call you tomorrow."

"If you don't mind" Sam replied with a faint smile while putting on his jacket. "I would like to have a few days without hearing from you. Nothing personal."

"I understand." Logan didn't feel offended at all. They had put Sam in an impossible situation here and were very lucky he wasn't reporting them at all. "Thanks again Sam. I owe you."

"That you do" was the doctor's answer. He took his bag and opened the door. Before he closed it he briefly looked back. "Good luck, Logan."

When his friend was gone Logan decided to check on Max. She was sitting in the chair in front of the bed staring at the unmoving X5-451. She didn't turn around when he entered and Logan almost thought she didn't notice him when she suddenly spoke in a very low voice:

"You should get some sleep. I will stay here and watch him."

"What about you?"

"I don't sleep, you forgot that?"

"No, I didn't." After a few seconds he added: "Max, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so. It's just a whole new situation. Being chased down by Lydecker is one thing but X5s…this could become very dangerous, Logan."

"What? More dangerous than going headlong against smugglers, corrupt politicians and mafia bosses?" She didn't smile and he quickly chose to alter his tactic. "I'm not going anywhere, Max. We will stay here for a few days, I make some calls and we'll figure out what to do next, okay?"

"Okay", she agreed and finally he could see a tiny smile gracing her features.

"Okay, I will get some sleep then. Goodnight."

"Goodnight. And Logan? Thank you."

He nodded smiling and excited the room closing the door behind him. When he finally got comfortable on the couch and fell asleep he had no idea how close the danger they were dreading in reality was.

* * *

X5-301 was standing in the shadows of a semi-derelict building about seventy meters from the building where Logan Cale and X5-452 had brought her partner. She had been standing there without moving a muscle for about three hours now and she perfectly knew her time of waiting wasn't finished by a long shot. A few minutes ago a man with a bald patched had come past her and she had smelled blood and antiseptic; apparently her target was trying to keep 451 alive which was a great relieve for the young X5 but still her eyes were fixed on the dark building across the street and filled with pure hatred. They had taken her partner from her, injured him and now held him hostage. She was aware of the fact she had only about 10 hours left before the colonel would call her again and she knew she would not be able to fool him a second time. Already it was clear she would be in big trouble once they got back to Manticore but she also knew that her target didn't expect a second attack. Had she followed protocol she would not have been able to follow the rogue X5 here and so nobody would be observing the house now, waiting for the best chance for an attack.

It was risky to attack an X5 and even more so if she was not alone, but 301 could be patient, her time would come.

* * *

Three hours later Max was still sitting on that chair watching 451 in his sleep. She hadn't seen him since that night in '09 and had hardly thought about him. But finding him here and now threw her mind back to that frosty night when he had decided to disobey his orders and let her go. She still didn't know why he had not handed her over to Manticore but she was determined to find out when he would wake up.

She felt a great sensation of compassion as she watched him. He was family, after all. He was her brother. Maybe they had not been in the same unit but as a matter of fact he was exactly the same as she was. Except for the fact of course that he was a young man. It hurt her to see him like that even if the logical part of her mind told her that there had not been another choice. Like all those years back he'd been faster and stronger than her and if OC hadn't shot she would be on her way back to Wyoming right now.

But she really hoped he would be alright although it didn't look like it at the moment. From time to time he shivered and she could clearly see that his body was fighting to heal the wounds. His face was covered with cold sweat and his facial expression even in his sleep showed that he was in pain. But she knew there was no use in giving him more painkillers. The stuff doctor Carr had brought along was too weak to help an X5 as they metabolized it much too fast.

She studied his face and had to admit that he was rather handsome – like all Manticore soldiers. His face even in his current state looked kind of friendly although she had seen the predatory look in his eyes when he had attacked her. She could see that they really looked like brother and sister.

His hair was a bit too short for her liking but she supposed every Manticore soldier had this sort of haircut; it just reminded her of her own time in that hole. Under the thin blanket lay a muscular body. He wasn't a body builder but strong and well trained. Unfortunately trained to kill, she reminded herself and sighed.

That was when he opened his eyes. He seemed to be disoriented and needed some seconds to adjust to his new environment. As soon as he noticed her he tried to get up but first there was the fact Max had handcuffed his left hand to the bed and second there were his injuries. He hissed through clenched teeth and fell back onto the bed.

"Stop doing that or you'll ruin all my work" Max growled annoyed and stand up. When she approached him she could see the precariousness in his eyes and how he was looking for a way of escape. She stopped. Of course, from his point of view she still was the enemy.

"I'm not gonna hurt you. If I wanted to do that you'd be dead by now" she assured him and then she added in a softer voice: "Let me help you, okay?"

He finally nodded and she knelt down at his side. She knew she had to be careful; even if wounded as badly as this one a X5 always posed a threat. But 451 seemed to know that there was nothing he could do for the moment. She slid a hand under his neck and helped him getting up a little while she held a cup with water to his lips. "You must drink, you need it."

He obliged and cautiously took a few sips. When the cup was empty Max carefully let him sink back onto the pillow. Then she took a damp cloth and wiped of the sweat from his face. All the time he never broke eye contact. He just kept looking at her without a word and to her surprise she didn't see anger in those grey eyes but more astonishment. It was strange and the feeling of being so close to him didn't help her concentration. When she was done she got up and sat down in her chair again.

"So, I suppose you're here because good old Deck sent you after me?" she began. At his questioning look she added: "Lydecker."

At this his face hardened but he didn't answer. When he didn't answer she continued:

"You know, that whole 'I'm-a-soldier-and-won't-talk'-thing won't work here. After all I'm not asking you to give up your base's location. Not that I wouldn't know about it already. You see, I was not really impressed by your little show tonight. I would have expected the two of you to be a bigger problem but as I see it we kicked your asses."

He still didn't answer but in his eyes was a look of amusement. They both knew it had been mere luck the battle in Logan's apartment had not ended with Max going back to Manticore but she didn't care, she wanted him to talk. Suddenly she remembered something else.

"You know, it really surprised me you called your partner – what was it again? Kyla? Yes? And she called you Wolf. That's still your name? Do you still remember how you got it?" The annoyed glance he shot her told her more than she needed to know. "I wonder if your superiors know about that. Because, you see, it had been the first sign of problems in my old unit when we gave each other names. Lydecker tried everything possible to get us to forget about us being individuals with names and personalities but well, you know what happened, right?"

He still didn't talk and just looked at her intensely. She leaned forward and returned his cold stare.

"I've always wondered why you let me go that night. I know you had me, but you still let me go. And I suppose you didn't tell your superiors what happened. Why did you let me go? Or even better: Why didn't you come with me? You know that you're nothing than meat to them! They use you and toss you aside like a broken doll as soon as you've done your job."

"You have no idea what you're talking about", he snarled angry. His voice sounded hoarse and even talking seemed to be painful but he continued: "You saw Manticore through the eyes of a child, we all did, but we're not children anymore, 452, we're soldiers and we have a mission to accomplish. From my point of view I could ask you why you left. The world out here isn't any better than it is back home."

"But I decide what I do and not some sadistic son of a bitch with a military rank. And by the way: My name is Max."

"Not to me, 452." She narrowed her eyes and wanted to answer when he suddenly paled and his breathing quickened. Max immediately got up, alarmed.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I have…trouble…breathing" was his only answer and Max inwardly cringed at the panicked look in his eyes. He was one of the most trained and professional soldiers in existence but even the body of a X5 was able to panic if it didn't get enough oxygen. Doctor Carr had told her something like that could happen. It was only a panic reaction of his body but extremely painful. She pulled away the blanket and took her pocket knife.

"I will not hurt you" she assured him again, "but I have to cut open your bandage. Hold still."

He just nodded and with a few movements the bandage that covered his ribcage was cut. Within seconds his breathing slowed down to almost normal.

"Thanks" he finally whispered, relieved.

'You're welcome' she wanted to answer but in this very moment a figure in black clothing crashed through the window. Max whirled around but was too slow. A kick into her back knocked the wind out of her lungs and threw her against the wall. When she had regained her balance and turned around the knife still in her hand she saw the other X5 standing in the middle of what had been a window seconds before. She had a nasty gash on her cheek and blood was already dropping down on the floor but the female soldier didn't seem to care. Other than in Logan's apartment her hands weren't empty but held a gun that was firmly pointed at Max and her eyes were so full of anger and aggression Max didn't even think about attacking her at the moment. She would have to wait for her chance.

"Nice" she finally said in a taunting voice. "We were just talking about you."

"Step away from him or your dead!" 301 sneered not letting down her guard for a second. Moments later a voice could be heard from the other room.

"Max? What's going on in there?"

'_Oh my god'_ was all Max could think, _'no, Logan, no!'_

"Tell him to stay out!" 301 demanded in her best military voice. She had seen frightened look in 452's eyes at Cale's voice. "If he enters this room I will shoot you in the shoulder and then him in the head. You will survive, he won't."

* * *

Yes, I like cliffhangers :) Hope you do as well. Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

Okay, back on. Sorry for the delay again but RL sucks at the moment.

Hm, over 600 hits and 14 reviews. Don't get me wrong, I love the reviews I get (I would just love to get more *gg*). No seriously, even a 'nice', 'good', or 'crap' would brighten my day :) You know it, reviews are life!

But here they area again, my two most loyal readers. Thanks a lot to the two of you!!

**Alan Grey:** Well, sorry, I'm into cliffhangers. Yes, I know they can be cruel, but there's nothing I can do about:)

About Doc Carr: You're right, I know he was always willing to help but at the beginning he was also curious and a little bit suspicious. About him working early in the morning, well, he's a doctor, he just had bad luck and got the night shift.

Ah, good old Det. Sung. No, of course I haven't forgot him, as a matter of fact he will make his appearance in the next chapter.

And yes, Lydecker is here, too. Not in this chapter but in the ones to come. 'The talk' you mentioned will take place but not right now, or at least not all of it. Well, just read and find out.

Thanks to you again!

**tylee17:** Thanks to you, too. Yes, it was part of my thinking when I wrote the scene with Carr. I know it is perhaps not perfectly correct but well, too late, it's already posted :)

I will see about the rushing-thing if I can, I know that sometimes I take it a little bit too fast. Feel free to throw in your two cents anytime you feel like it!

* * *

"Logan?" Max finally called out without her eyes leaving 301, "stay out!"

The female X5 – Kyla – looked more than angry, she actually looked very pissed and although she was alone Max knew she was more than capable of dealing with her and Logan at the moment. At least one of them would die if he entered the room now. Any other time Max would have waited for her chance and then attacked but right now there was nothing she could do, not if she wanted Logan make it out alive.

"What do you mean, stay out?" Logan's voice came through the door, "What's happening in there?"

"It's the other X5, she's here. Don't come in!"

"What…" Logan began but was cut off by 301.

"Just shut the fuck up and do as she tells you or neither of you will see the next sunrise, got it?" 301 finally lost her temper; this didn't happen often and it just reminded her how much it had frightened her to see 451 get shot. After this Logan was quiet and Max hoped he wouldn't try something stupid. 301 seemed to listen if the man next door was moving but she couldn't hear anything and nodded. "Drop the knife and turn around, 452!"

Max obeyed. The knife made a strange metallic sound when it hit the floor. When she turned around she was frantically thinking about a way to take out the female X5 behind her without endangering Logan. 451 saw the look on her face and shook his head.

"Don't" he warned her weakly, "she will kill you. Don't worry, we will not hurt your friend, he's not on our list."

"How can you be so sure about that? She doesn't look like she's very reasonable at the moment."

"Because I'm following orders, 452", 301 hissed through clenched teeth while stepping closer to Max, "That's something you'll learn to do again soon."

Max snorted. "Never! I will n…"

Those were her last words before 301 hit her against the back of her head with the butt of her gun and her world sank into darkness. It was not the most effective and secure way to take out an X5 but Kyla wasn't about to be kind at the moment.

Nevertheless the female X5 was quick to stop her target's fall and lay her down on the floor almost gently after she had checked the rogue X5 was really unconscious. She quickly handcuffed her and brought her in a recovery position. It was her order to bring X5-452 back alive. And she always – always – followed her orders.

When she was sure Max wouldn't be a problem for the moment and she couldn't hear anything from the other room she turned her attention to her partner. He looked pale and she could see that he was very weak. She knelt down at his side and caressed his cheek. It didn't matter to her that this might be strange to him; she just felt a great sensation of relief to have found him alive. She also felt something else, something she didn't know but she quickly pushed it aside; this wasn't the time for pondering.

"How are you?" she asked gently.

"Hurt" was his only reply but she could see that spark in his eyes she had missed during the last hours. She smiled.

"I'll bring you back, you're gonna be okay", she promised him, "Just have to deal with the other one."

"Don't kill him" her partner warned her, "We don't have orders to do so."

She nodded and got up again, gun pointed at the door.

"Logan Cale! Open the door and enter, slowly. I want to see your hands all the time! Now!"

* * *

The first thing Max felt when she woke up was a terrible headache. She groaned in pain and tried to move but found out that she couldn't. That was when the memories of the last hours' events came back to her mind. She opened her eyes and tried frantically to free her hands but there was no use; apparently she had been handcuffed. She felt the panic rise inside her and looked around for something to get free.

"Stop moving or I knock you out again!" said a gruff voice from the darkest corner in the room. Max immediately lay still and turned her head towards the person who had spoken. It was 301. She had been standing at the window but now turned around. She still wore the same black clothes. For some seconds she just looked at Max. There was no kindness in her eyes, Max decided, but at least the anger was gone. The X5 had become a soldier again, cold, perhaps a little bit worried but all in control. "Sorry about your head, it should be okay in a couple of days."

Even her voice was all professional again; it made the apology sound almost like nothing.

Max just nodded and looked around. She wasn't in Logan's safe house anymore; instead she lay on a bed in what seemed to be a very cheap motel room. To her left in a second bed was 451. He was awake and looked at her with a strange curiosity but he didn't move. She could see that he was a little bit better, less pale and his breathing was constant and strong. Nevertheless he wouldn't be a problem after she had dealt with the other one. If only she could get off those goddamned handcuffs!

"Don't even bother trying, 452" 301 said with a small laugh. The sound alone let Max look up at her with surprise; the female X5 really seemed to be amused by her attempts to free herself. "It's not the first time I'm doing something like that."

"It's the first time you're trying it with me" Max growled but stopped moving again. This X5 confused her. One moment she was the perfect little Manticore soldier and the other one she was smiling and making fun of her.

"Whatever." 301 shrugged and turned towards the window again.

"What did you do to Logan?" The question was out of her mouth before she could think about it.

"The man that was with you? Don't worry, he's okay." 301 smirked at Max. "Although his head might hurt a little. Look on the bright side, 452: A problem shared is a problem halved."

"Shut up!" She was relieved they hadn't hurt Logan, at least no permanently, but this X5's attitude was getting on her nerves. She reminded herself not to ask questions about him or her other friends anymore. The last thing she needed now was that the X5 started thinking about them as possible targets. After a moment she continued: "What are we waiting for anyway? If you're waiting for the room service I'm afraid you are in the wrong place. Can't Deck afford giving you appropriate quarters anymore?"

"We're waiting for the rescue team. I called command sometime ago; it won't take them long anymore. And just for your information, 452, the colonel is looking after us just fine."

There she was again, the cold and emotionless soldier. Apparently insulting Lydecker in front of these X5s wasn't a good idea. She could not imagine how or why but apparently they respected her personal nemesis and the looks on both of their faces told her that it would be better not to bring up that topic again.

For the next minutes she lay still and thought about how she could escape from this situation. She had been so stupid! She had been sure nobody was following them before they got to the safe house, but these were X5s, the most trained soldiers in existence. She of all people should have known what they were capable of but apparently she had gotten lazy. If Lydecker could hear her thoughts now. She was already berating herself for not being the perfect little soldier he could be so proud of!

"What will happen now?" She needed to distract them, to let them think she had given up.

To her surprise it was 451 who spoke: "The rescue team will bring us back to Gilette. There you will go through re-indoctrination."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" She had rolled over a little bit and looked sternly at him.

"PsyOps." It was only a word, one she had heard before, in another life, but she could see how her brother tensed and even without seeing it she felt that 301 straightened up a little bit and she could have sworn she heard her gritting her teeth.

"What does that mean _exactly_", she repeated while trying not to show her uneasiness at the sudden change in their behavior.

"You'll survive it", 451 answered reluctantly. After a few seconds he added: "We all did."

Confused by his answer Max looked over to 301 but the female X5 was staring out of the window with her hands behind her back clenched into fists. Apparently she had triggered some not so happy memories there.

"You could always let me go?" she suggested halfheartedly.

"Don't think so."

"You did it once already", she reminded him. To her surprise he smiled and 301 didn't look surprised when she turned around to face Max again.

"I did this when I was a child." He tried to explain his behavior all those years back. "I was young and inexperienced; I'm neither the one nor the other anymore, 452."

"My name is Max", she repeated once again, shouting. "And your name is Wolf. I gave it to you the night you let me escape. And your name" she turned her head at 301 "is Kyla! I heard it, you call each other by those names, don't deny it. You even breached protocol and followed us after Wolf got shot before you contacted command because you didn't want to lose your team member, _Kyla_. You two are doing the same things my unit did a decade ago, so don't tell me you like it at Lydecker's personal horror camp!"

"Three things, 452", Kyla began after Max had finished. Her voice was calm but dead serious while she was staring down at her captive. "First; why 451 let you escape that night is none of your business. I know about it and that's it. Second; what we are doing and why is none of your business, too. And third; if you insult the colonel again I will make sure you won't be able to speak a word anymore for the time I have to watch you, because as a matter of fact, you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about."

Max wanted to answer but in this moment 301's phone started ringing.

"X5-301 reporting, sir" she answered it in her best military manner. After a few seconds she continued: "Yes, sir, we're still at the same location."

Then she listened and nodded. "Understood, ETA 10 minutes, 301 out."

Ten minutes. Under normal circumstances this would have been more than enough time for her to escape but this was far from normal. Even with Wolf wounded Max knew there was no chance she would get past Kyla. Odd, she had even started to really think of them with their names.

"I will not go back" she said defiantly glaring first at Wolf, then at Kyla who had resumed her guarding post at the window.

"You will." Wolf spoke in a way that reminded her of Zack back then when he had been her CO. Suddenly his eyes softened a little bit. "PsyOps is hard but you'll survive it. And for the rest: Manticore has changed. You will see."

She didn't answer and instead just glared at him for what seemed to be hours. Her mind was racing. She was afraid of going back into that personal hell of hers. She had been very young when she had escaped but she still remembered how it had been; the medical experiments, the drill, the constant yelling and most of all the permanent danger of failure, punishment and even death. No, she would do anything, now and if necessary in the days and weeks to come to get back her freedom. Kyla's voice interrupted her pondering.

"They're coming."

Moments later Max could hear the sound of cars arriving outside, doors being opened and slammed shut again and a voice barking commands. Oh hell, he even had to come himself to make sure his pet soldier was coming home. A few seconds later she heard steps approaching the room. Kyla quickly smiled at Wolf, a gesture he returned. It wasn't a proud smile of a soldiers who had just accomplished their mission, it was something else, but Max wasn't given the time to think about it.

A man in a brown leather jacket opened the door and stepped into the room followed by two black clad soldiers with guns in their hands. He looked at her with a mixture of relief, pride and frustration. Then he finally spoke.

"Welcome back, 452."

Max just glared at him with pure hatred in her eyes. She was Max Guevera, she never ever would allow herself to show that bastard that she was afraid. Never again would she allow herself to follow this man's command, never!

"So glad you could make it" she spat at him. "Now just go back to hell, Deck!"

* * *

**Yes, I know, probably not what you expected. And yes, I like cliffhangers.**

** Anyway, you know it, reviews are life! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry for the delay again, I was arguing with myself over this chapter for some time, that's why it took a while to post it.

**Taeniaea:** Thx and welcome back!

**tylee17:** Yes, Max will be back at Manticore. It would be too easy to let her escape already. Don't worry, she'll make it. Thanks to you again!

**roseyangel:** Welcome on board. Yes, as I said to tylee17, Max is back home. It won't be the most enjoyable time but, well, you'll see.

Thanks to all of you for reading and reviewing. Now: Don't hang me for the changes I made for example in Lydecker's attitude. As I have said earlier in this story he will have time to change and so he won't be the son of a b**** we all hate and love.

For any other mistakes: please note and review. Criticism is always appreciated.

Read and enjoy!

* * *

Matt Sung was a very busy man. Being one of the few honest detectives in a city where corruption was a daily occurrence didn't make his life easier and a day out in the streets wasn't something that brightened his mood either. He had just made it through the night and only wanted to leave his office and go home to see his son before he had to go to school when his cell phone started ringing. He swore silently before answering it.

"Detective Sung."

"_Matt, it's Logan."_ The police officer immediately stopped in his tracks; Cale sounded stressed.

"Logan, what happened? You don't sound good."

"_I can't tell you on the phone. Can you meet me at the docks in half an hour?"_

"Look, I just…" Matt's voice trailed off and finally he sighed. It really seemed like his friend needed help so he forgot about his tiredness and agreed: "Okay, half an hour, I'll be there."

* * *

Twenty-nine minutes later Logan was sitting in his car at the Seattle Docks and looking out for his friend to arrive. The weather seemed to be a mirror of his worried thoughts; it was cloudy and about to rain again. He had a throbbing headache and was asking himself what he'd done to deserve to be knocked out by a transgenic twice during the same night. Sure that female X5 easily could have killed him and he should be glad to be alive at all but with your head feeling like it had a heart of its own you don't feel too grateful for the one that hit you.

When he had woken up in that safe house Max and the two X5s had been gone. It didn't take him much imagination what they were going to do with her; bringing her back to Manticore and Lydecker was the only thing that made sense, so he had done the first thing that came to his mind and called Matt Sung. Logan smiled as he was thinking about the Asian detective: He was one of the rare rays of light in this dark world; morale and trusting and one of the few law enforcement types not on the take. Logan hoped that his friend could help him this time, too.

The cyber-journalist looked up when Sung's car rounded the building in front of him and slowly rolled towards his own. Sung stopped and lowered his window, Logan did the same.

"Logan", Matt began with a wry smile. He looked tired and definitely needed a bed. "It's always a pleasure to meet you. But could you tell me why I'm here while I could spend time with my family?"

Logan cringed inwardly. This was the second time he had to ask a friend a very big favor in less than twenty-four hours. "I'm really sorry, Matt, but I didn't know who else I could ask."

"Calm down, it's not the first time I'll be home later than I promised" Matt tried to assure him. "What happened?"

"Somebody took Max."

"What? Who?" Matt didn't know much about Logan's friend but she seemed to be a nice girl.

"I don't know why and who." Logan didn't feel comfortable about lying to Matt, but what should he do? He couldn't just say: 'Ah, you know, she's a genetically enhanced super soldier who escaped ten years back and know her creators want her back. Could you please help me find out about the location of the most secret military base in our country?' No, that did not sound like a good idea. "All I know is that they seemed to be something military. I hoped you could perhaps help me find out where they are taking her. Don't you have some contacts to the sector police?"

"When did they take her?"

"Couple of hours ago."

"And they were military, you say?"

"It seemed so, yes."

"That makes things difficult." Matt mused.

"Why?"

"If they were from the military sector police has no authority to stop them", Matt explained. "You know the rules: If it's wearing a green uniform it's more important than you. I can try to find out which posts they have passed. Where did they take her?"

Logan gave him the address; after all he couldn't use that safe house anymore. "Thank you, Matt."

"No problem. Just don't get your hopes up too much" the detective warned Logan. "I call you as soon as I can."

"Thanks again, Matt, and be careful."

"As always. See you!"

* * *

Max was in pain. Her left upper thigh hurt like hell and her right wrist felt like it was broken. Of course she had pulled up a fight when Lydecker's two toy soldiers tried to get her up and out of the room; she was pretty sure she broke the one's nose and the other one shouldn't feel too good either. During the fight 301 – Kyla – didn't intervene and Max was quite sure she had seen a spark of amusement in her eyes when the two Manticore special ops soldiers went down but as soon as she turned towards Lydecker that spark had vanished and Kyla had been the cold X5 again. Max hadn't even managed to get to him before Kyla caught her and twisted her wrist until she could hear a sickening crack. The pain had been too much and the female X5's grip too strong so Max had stopped fighting. When they had left the building and were walking towards the four black Humvees her strength had returned and one last time she had tried to get free. This time 301 seemed to be more than just annoyed; with a low kick she had brought her captive down onto the wet asphalt and held her until one of the other soldiers approached and Max felt a stabbing pain in her left upper arm and everything started to blur.

'_Well'_ she had thought _'at least she didn't hit me on the head this time.'_

And then it had been black again.

When she woke up she was sitting in the back of a Humvee with 301 beside her. The other X5 had made it clear that she would hurt her again if she tried anything and the usually so bold Max was smart enough to believe her. She needed her strength if she ever wanted to escape, but she also needed to be patient. So she sat still during the following hours which was not a good thing for she had too much time to think. Most of the time her thoughts were circling around Manticore and what was waiting for her there. But then also she thought about Logan, OC, Kendra, Sketchy, even Normal and all her other friends. Would she see them again?

She frowned when Kyla turned around once again and looked for the Humvee that was behind them. She'd done this a few times and it started to annoy Max.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked.

"Didn't I tell you to keep your mouth shut?" 301 growled with an angry glare towards Max.

"No, you told me not to try and flee", Max retorted for which the other woman shot her another warning glance. "We'll be in here for some time, so talking would be a nice distraction, don't you think."

"As if I would need that" 301 muttered under her breath. Louder she answered: "I was checking if the vehicle behind us is still there or if there are any problems, happy?"

"And in which vehicle is 451?"

"In the Humvee behind us." Kyla's voice was stern and she looked at Max with a mixture of annoyance and anger.

Max on the other side only smirked at that last bit of information and her eyes held a message that was loud and clear: '_I know'_

Kyla narrowed her eyes and leaned closer to her captive until their faces were only inches apart.

"I don't know what you've seen, 452", she whispered in a dangerously low voice, "and I don't know what you're thinking, but whatever it is, forget about it immediately. Even at Manticore accidents happen sometimes, understood?

Max nodded but was still smiling.

Kyla got back into her original position and looked out of the window. She wasn't about to deliberately injure 452, after all she would be in her unit in a few months, but she had to prevent that the colonel or one of the other instructors ever found out how she felt about 451 or she would never be able to see him again. The two of them had never broken the rules, never something had happened and as far as she could see it 451 didn't want anything from her that went further than just being her military partner. And that was fine for her just as long as she could work with him, see him almost daily and go on missions with him. She didn't fully understand those feelings and there was nobody she could ask about it, but she knew any sort of affection was something Manticore would not tolerate.

"We're almost there", the driver announced. "About five minutes to go."

Kyla only nodded but Max was immediately brought back to the harsh reality. She looked out of the window and she felt a shiver running down her spine. Yes, they were close. She could sense it. The forest around them seemed to be like any other forest she had seen but there were those small signs of déjà-vu she couldn't deny. She knew – her subconscious mind knew – that she had been here before, a long time ago in another life. She felt her heart rate rise and her breathing quickened. 301 felt the change and looked at her warningly.

And then they reached the fence and the first checkpoint. The convoy stopped and she could hear Lydecker talking to one of the guards. Shortly afterwards they continued their journey. Max felt like her body was frozen as soon as the car she was in had gone past the barbed wire fence and was now definitely within the compound she knew and feared as Manticore. Outside she could see things she had tried to forget during the past ten years. There they had trained escape and evade when she had been caught and injured badly by the X5 of the other team. Behind that small hill was the shooting range where Jondy had almost been shot by Jack during an exercise with life rounds. She pressed her eyes shut and tried to block out all these images and memories, her body trembled. Suddenly she felt a light touch on her shoulder and looked at 301 in surprise. The other X5 looked at her but instead of anger all Max could see in her eyes was – compassion? For a moment she was too astonished to say anything.

"It's gonna be okay, 452" 301 whispered so only Max could hear her.

Max just kept looking at her. Was that a new sort of trap? Gaining her trust only to be able to manipulate her? But the other woman's eyes, voice and body language only showed concern and worry.

"I know it is hard for you to believe but everything will turn out okay", Kyla tried to calm the nervous 452. After a moment of hesitation she added: "_You_ are gonna be okay, Max."

Max stared at her now completely taken aback. Had this X5 just called her by her name?

"Why…?" she began but at this moment the Humvee stopped and Max looked out again. Almost nothing had changed. They had arrived at the main building of the facility and everything looked like she remembered it.

'_Here we are'_ she thought grimly before 301 got out of the car and came over to her side and opened the door.

"Do as I tell you and you'll be fine", she told Max in her soldier-voice but still as gently as she could with the Manticore special ops soldiers behind her. She didn't know why she had called her captive by her individual name; perhaps she just wanted her to be as calm as possible or perhaps it was because she knew what 452 would be going through in PsyOps. Yes, that was it. She waited until Max – no, X5-452 – nodded and then helped her getting out of the car before she handed her over to four of the black clad soldiers who led her into the building. X5-301 turned around and wanted to look after 451 in the Humvee behind her but somebody blocked her way. It was the colonel and he didn't look pleased at all. 301 snapped at attention and saluted.

"Sir!"

"At ease, soldier. What were you going to do?"

"I wanted to look after X5-451, sir." Somehow this answer seemed to upset her CO even more.

"The medical staff has already been informed and will take care of 451." He spoke in a very low voice which usually was not a good sign. "I want to see you in my office in twenty minutes."

"Understood, sir!"

"Dismissed."

301 saluted again and then sprinted towards the barracks. She had about fifteen minutes to shower and change into a clean uniform. She tried to suppress the rising feeling of fear, after all she had known something like that was bound to happen. Perhaps 452 wouldn't be alone in PsyOps.

That sarcastic thought brought a grim smile on her lips when she entered her quarters. It wasn't much; a small room with grey walls, a bed, a table and a locker. Not much, but it was all 301 had ever needed. She quickly undressed, took a towel and wrapped it around her body before she grabbed a clean uniform and made her way to the showers.

"Hey, already back?" a voice behind her suddenly said. It was X5-494. He grinned and eyed her. 301 frowned.

"Take your eyes of me or you'll lose something important", she growled not slowing down. She did outrank him but when not out in the field he usually didn't care.

"Whatever", he answered still grinning. "Where are you going?"

"Showers. I have to report to the colonel."

"Okay, we're out at the shooting range. See you later."

After he had left 301 shook her head. Technically 451 was still unit two's CO and she his 2IC but as they were away on missions most of the time 494 had become sort of the unofficial leader of their unit whenever neither 451 nor she were around. It didn't do good to his ego which had already been big enough before. She sighed and entered the showers. The hot water felt good on her skin and she allowed herself a few minutes without the constant stress she usually felt but she knew she hadn't much time. Four minutes before she had to report to Lydecker she left the showers, two minutes before deadline she had tossed the towel into her locker and was jogging towards his office. Exactly twenty-nine seconds before her twenty minutes were up she stood before his office. She could hear voices from inside; apparently there was somebody with him.

"I tell you again: This is none of your business." This was the colonel and he sounded quite irritated. "I'm the head of this facility and neither you nor your boss are gonna tell me what I have to do, tell her that! Dismissed!"

She could hear footsteps approaching the door and stepped back. A second later the door was opened and a man in a suit came past her. She felt disgust when she recognized him; it was agent Sandoval. He briefly looked at her and there was something in his eyes she didn't like.

"301, enter!" Lydecker barked from behind his desk. It was quite clear his mood hadn't improved. She quickly stepped inside his office and closed the door before she stood at attention before him. The older man examined her for a few seconds before he spoke: "Why did you breach protocol, 301?"

"Sir?" Perhaps there was still a way out of it. X5s were not only highly trained soldiers, they were also very good actors.

"Don't play games with me, 301!" the colonel hissed through clenched teeth. No, acting was not a good idea at the moment. "You should have called me immediately after 451 was shot but instead you followed your target and lied to me!"

301 shuddered invisibly. He knew. Of course he knew; he was an experienced operator and officer, he had probably known the moment she had called him the second time. Suddenly Lydecker stood up and came around his desk until he stood right before her. She returned his piercing gaze but felt a great sensation of guilt inside herself. She had failed him.

"Why did you lie to me?"

"It was my only chance to follow my target and find out where she was bringing 451, sir."

"And after you knew about their new location, why didn't you call me?"

There it was; the one fatal flaw in her story. She decided that it would be best if she told her CO the truth; perhaps she could spare 451 from PsyOps.

"I decided not to inform you because I knew you would have to deploy a rescue team. Their attack would most certainly have led to the death of the target and X5-451. I analyzed the situation and decided I could resolve the problem myself, sir!"

"Which you did", Lydecker agreed but the predatory look in his eyes was not gone. "But I'm still asking myself if you're telling the truth."

"Sir?"

"Would you have acted the same way if you were partnered with, let's say, X5-494?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Are you sure about that, Kyla?"

Her world seemed to freeze. She looked at the colonel in complete horror and shock. She felt like a crushing weight was on her chest, she couldn't breathe anymore, couldn't move. He knew.

"What?" His voice was almost taunting. "You thought I wouldn't find out?"

"How?" she finally managed to choke out.

"That is none of your concern, 301!" he barked and she flinched slightly. No, X5-452 would definitely not spend her time in PsyOps alone. Lydecker sighed and got behind his desk again, sitting down. "I have known for some time that you and X5-451 share a special bond, 301, and until know I didn't do anything because it never was a problem but now…"

He said nothing for about a minute and watched the X5 before his desk. She was still standing straight and all of her composure was a picture of the soldier she was but Lydecker knew his children, he saw the tiny details, recognized the look of defeat and utter fear in her eyes.

"I will report to PsyOps immediately" she finally spoke, her voice but a whisper. She was afraid of that place; he knew that and didn't blame her for it. All of his kids were and to be honest he felt a sensation of discomfort himself every time he was there.

"I gave no such order" he answered. "You will go to your mission debriefing with Major Coleman and after that you report to Captain Anderson on the shooting range. He will give you further orders. Understood?"

301 looked up in surprise. No PsyOps? That was not possible! He couldn't just ignore what she had done, what she and 451 had done!

"I said 'understood'!" Lydecker snarled when she didn't answer.

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Good, dismissed!"

She saluted and Donald Lydecker then watched a completely confused X5 leave his office. When she had closed the door he sighed. By all means he should put her in PsyOps along with 451 but he wouldn't. They were his two best soldiers and he suspected they were always able to carry out even the most complex and dangerous missions because of that special bond they shared. Of course he would have to watch them, now more than before, but as he knew the two of them they wouldn't be a problem, not with the knowledge that he knew about their little secret. He wasn't a cruel man and other than most of his superiors he had found out long ago that his kids were not machines and needed some human warmth from time to time like all human beings did. Of course he would never say this out loud and his subordinates would never know about this opinion but he was sure he was doing the right thing.

After all, he knew what happened when you held the reigns too tight, Max's unit had proven that. It was quite a balancing act, like being caught between a rock and a hard place but until now he had managed to stay on top and as long as both 301 and 451 showed no sign of further problems he would let them do their jobs. He sighed again and picked up the phone. Time to find out how it was going with X5-452.

* * *

Max fought the urge to struggle for she knew there was no possibility of escape at the moment. While she was led through the grey and cold corridors she had already hated when she had been a child she felt disgust, anger, discomfort and also fear. But what intimidated her most was that she couldn't deny being here again also let her feel something else.

It felt like coming home.

* * *

**Okay, Max is back at Manticore. Will she be able to resist re-indoctrination? And what about her brother and 301? Don't kill me, you know I like cliffhangers.**

**And reviews, too ;)**


	8. Chapter 8

Okay, here we go again.

**roseyangel: **Yep, just love cliffys, can't help it. Thanks to you!

**Taeniaea: **Thanks to you, too.

**Divine Fighter: **Of course she will put up a fight. We wouldn't like her so much if she didn't, would we? :)

**Tylee17: **Thanks for the tip with the reviews, I corrected it. Well, I was a little bit surprised when you wrote that I had to focus even more on my OCs. Don't worry, I will give them more space later but at the moment I try not to forget too much about the main characters. I hope I can make it right. If not, don't hesitate and tell me at once. And Wolf and Kyla? Well, let's just say they will have trouble figuring out what Deck's all about. You'll see. Thanks a lot!

**Alan Grey: **That's the longest review I got so far. All I could think when I read it the first time was 'whoa! cool!' Thank you very much. Lydecker and Logan will have some encounter later. I always thought the two of them were fun when 'playing' against each other and of course Eyes Only will be a pain in Manticore's ass soon.

About Renfro: No, Sandoval wasn't there just because of Max, as you will find out she's not all 'alone' but of course Max will have to deal with her sooner or later. Same goes for McGinnis. I was thinking about bringing him up but that will probably take some time. He's an interesting character and I'm sure his past with Lydecker could be entertaining.

Alec...let's just say he's gonna have a hard time with his new team mate sooner or later :)

The Wyoming facility never had several hundreds of X5s. If you remember in my first chapter unit two was only about a dozen people and Max's original unit wasn't much bigger. Of course there are now more of them after all those years, certainly more from the newer series but I do not intend to give deck a full bataillon of X-series. You'll see.

Anyway, it's always a pleasure reading all of your reviews and I hope I can keep up the story in a way you all can enjoy reading it. If not, tell me at once so I can get back to the original path!

Thank you all and enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

"_There has been a convoy of 4 Humvees that left Seattle at a checkpoint in sector 6."_ Matt Sung sounded exhausted. He had been in the office the whole day which meant he had not slept for over thirty-six hours.

"That's great, Matt" Logan's mind was already making up possible scenarios. Where could they go from there, which were the best routes for a convoy of black ops soldiers, where on this route could they be noticed? "Did you find out anything else?"

"_No, I'm sorry. Look, I spoke with the officer on duty myself and it was just as I told you; they showed him some sort of government order and all he could do was let them pass. Sector police doesn't stand a chance against military; they're just much too low in the food chain."_

"I understand" Logan answered quickly trying to hide his disappointment. "Anyway, thank you very much, Matt. Now go home to your son, you've already done more than I could've expected."

"_To serve and to protect, Logan."_ This time Logan could almost hear the faint smile in the Asian detective's voice. _"Call me if you need anything. Take care."_

The line went dead and Logan found himself staring out of the windows of his apartment at the Foggle Towers into another rainy day in Seattle. It wasn't much information his friend had found but it was better than nothing. Lydecker was military and that made his line of approach predictable. He was black ops and nobody, not even the population of the country he was serving should know about him so he would take the shortest and fastest route possible to get in and get out. He went over to his computer – he had put on the exoskeleton the moment he had come back to this place to be better prepared for a possible next attack – and searched for a good map of Seattle and its surroundings. They exited the city through sector 6, which meant they would go…

For the next hour the cyber-journalist was surfing through various charts and maps, called some of his informants who lived in the respective areas and even hacked into some of the stationary security cameras of sector police but he was not lucky. He found security camera footage that showed the convoy and could even make out Lydecker in the first vehicle but that was it. None of his informants had heard anything and there were too many possibilities were they could have brought Max.

"Still not getting any sleep?" Bling's voice made Logan jump and he looked at the tall man in annoyance.

"Didn't your mother tell you not to sneak on people?"

"I wasn't sneaking. You're just too focused on your task." Bling smiled and came closer until he could see what Logan was looking for. "You will need more time. Stay patient. You won't find Manticore today."

"I can't leave her there", Logan objected. "I need to find her as fast as possible."

"You're not helping her if you overwork yourself until you collapse." Bling sighed and looked at Logan sympathetically. "Look, I know you want to find her, but for now you will have to accept that it could take some time, okay?"

Logan looked at him and finally nodded. He hadn't slept all day and his body was beginning to signal him that he needed some rest. He was glad to have a man like Bling at his side. When his trainer/bodyguard had arrived this morning and had started asking questions about the people who had attacked them and where Max was Logan had decided to tell him what he knew about the X5 and Manticore. It had been a risky step but it proved to be the right one. Instead of being furious or disgusted Bling had been enraged to hear something like Manticore even existed. He had assured Logan his assistance and just like when he had told him about the whole Eyes Only thing Logan knew he had gained another ally in his new crusade.

"I'll make you some coffee" the taller man suddenly said and Logan nodded.

"Yeah, good idea. Perhaps I really need a short break.

"You sure do" Bling chuckled.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. The two men looked at each other before Logan stood up and took his gun from the desk. Bling drew his own weapon and together they made their way to the door.

"Who's there?" Logan shouted when they both had gotten into position.

"Original Cindy" a clearly annoyed voice answered. "Open the door or this girl will kick it down!"

Logan nodded and Bling carefully opened the door. OC didn't wait too long and pushed the door open and Bling had to step back or she would have run into him. She eyed the two armed men suspiciously.

"Could you tell Original Cindy why the two of you are armed and on the warpath? And when you're at it why don't you tell me where my boo is?"

Logan just looked at her for a moment, completely taken aback. It became more and more obvious where Max had learned all those colorful expressions.

"Bling" he said hesitantly after some seconds. "That coffee you were talking about seems to be a very good idea."

"I think so, too." The tall bodyguard closed the door and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Well?" OC asked in a stern voice and looked at Logan expectantly.

"I think we better sit down" Logan pointed towards the living room. OC shot him another warning glance and then turned on her heel and made her way to the couch. Logan sighed and followed her. This was gonna be a long day. Before he sat down in front of her he had already decided that he would have to tell her everything, too. Yes, definitely a long day. Where was that coffee?

* * *

451 shifted uncomfortably in his hospital bed. Seven days. One week. That was the amount of time he would have to spend here before he would be allowed to return to active duty and he already knew he would go crazy after two days and drive the doctors nuts. He had been here for about six hours since they had arrived at Manticore and already he felt sort of antsy. He knew that he would be in pain again without the painkillers they gave him but just waiting for your body to heal was a terribly boring thing for a usually active X5. And he had been lucky; that doctor who had fixed him in Seattle had obviously done a good job or he would be in a far worse condition which would mean even more time in sickbay.

He looked up when somebody entered the room. Perhaps one of the nurses who needed more blood for another test. As if he hadn't lost enough of that already.

The look of surprise on his face was very well visible when he saw 301 approaching but it quickly changed to one of concern when he saw her worried expression. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of antiseptic and blood that still lingered in the air; she hated it like every X5 did. It was a sign of disease and death and their feral side let them hate it even more than a normal human would.

"What happened?" he asked quietly when she stood beside his bed. Her uniform was dirty and she smelled of mud, apparently she had been out in the woods.

"How are you?" She was trying to hide her worry but he knew her too long to be fooled.

"Fine, but that's no answer to my question. What is it?"

She pressed her lips together and her eyes searched the room as if she didn't know exactly if anybody else was there. Finally she looked at him.

"He knows. The colonel…he knows."

"He knows what?" This whole conversation was much too weird for his liking. Was she afraid of him? Why should she?

"About us. The names."

After that neither of them spoke for about a minute. 451 tried to figure out what she just said. Was this a new test? How should Lydecker know? They had been careful, only used their names when they were outside on missions and alone.

"How did he find out?"

"He didn't tell me. But he was angry as hell!"

451 nodded. Of course he was. The names had been the first sign of problems in unit one and now they were deserters. It was different with him and 301, they were completely loyal to Manticore and the colonel, but what difference would that make? In their superior's eyes they had broken the rules and breaking rules at Manticore almost always meant one thing.

"Why aren't we in PsyOps already?" he finally spoke out his thoughts. He dreaded the answer but he also knew that there was no use in denying the inevitable. To his surprise 301 shrugged, an almost helpless gesture.

"I don't know. I told him I would report there but he held me back and told me to start training after my debriefing. I have been out all day and it seems like nothing has changed."

"Perhaps they wait until I get out of here so they can reindoctrinate the two of us together."

"But that doesn't make any sense!"

"I know!" he exclaimed but calmed down quickly. "I don't understand it either."

One of the doctors entered and the two X5s immediately turned their attention towards him.

"I told you that you need to rest, 451" the older man gruffly said to the male X5. "Why do you people never listen to what I say?"

"I'm sorry, sir, my 2IC just filled me in about the latest events."

"Whatever. I want you to leave my patient alone until he is able to leave my sickbay, did I make myself clear?" The doctor spoke in a different tone than their instructors; he didn't yell nor did he seem to be angry but his voice was stern as he looked at 301.

"Yes, sir!" the female X5 replied. "I hope you get out soon, 451. See you."

451 only nodded, not wanting to let the doctor think too much about 301's real purpose there. It was just when his partner had almost reached the door when she looked back and he smiled briefly at her. She smiled back before she left the room and closed the door behind her.

When she was gone 451 frowned. What was the colonel planning? He knew that he and 301 were probably the operators with the most experience but in Manticore's point of view nothing – absolutely nothing – could justify what the two of them had done. Names were used if the mission required it and forgotten as soon as the mission was accomplished. By all means he shouldn't be lying here in sickbay but be strapped down in PsyOps along with 452.

Thinking about his sister led him back to that night she had given him the name he still used when alone with Kyla – with 301.

"_Then I will call you Wolf. The way you fight and talk. It's somewhat calm and still strong. Wolf it is."_

He hadn't fully understood what had happened that night but somehow he liked that name and he kept it, for years only to himself and then he had shared it with his 2IC during that night when…

He shook his head. It was better not to think about it. Back to the original problem: Why wasn't he in PsyOps and what why did the colonel not put them there?

* * *

In the basement below the two X5 Max was struggling against the cold restraints that held her body on the hard table that went for a bed down here in PsyOps. The dim light, all the medical equipment which was usually used to inflict pain and not to ease it and of course the always present bunch of crazy scientists in their white coats…yeah, just like she remembered it, home sweet home.

She had been here before as a child and all the suppressed fears that were connected to this place had resurfaced as soon as she had entered the room. She had tried to escape and attacked the guards but there had been too many of them. She was quite sure she had injured at least two of them badly, perhaps even broken one's arm, but the others didn't even bother in trying to sedate her and instead used their tasers; one or two of those things didn't matter for an average X5 her age but having six of them sending waves of electricity through your body had been too much for her and she collapsed.

When she had regained her senses she had already been lying on that goddamned table with the restraints in place. Her clothes were gone and had been replaced with one of the grey nightgowns she did wear last time when she had escaped that hell. She was still trying to get free but until now she wasn't able to move a single part of her body except for her eyes which were searching for a way of escape.

"You should lay still, X5-452" one of the scientists suddenly said. There were four of them in the room, two men and two women. Apparently the guards had left after making sure she was restrained so she was alone with those wannabe-Mengeles. The one that had just addressed her seemed to be the leader. He looked at her and there was some sort of light in his eyes Max didn't recognize but didn't like at all.

"Bite me!" she spat, eyes full of anger. He just smiled arrogantly and shook his head. The thought that he had probably been one of those who had undressed her when she had been unconscious made her feel like throwing up.

"Don't worry, 452, when we're done with you you'll be as good as new. We have gained much experience with your kind." One of the women showed him something on a clipboard. He briefly looked at it and nodded before he turned his attention back to Max. "I would explain the procedure of reindoctrination to you but I'm sure you remember how it works, right?"

That man was a sadist, Max decided, and he was dangerous too. He kept smiling and definitely had fun. She felt helpless with the black restraints making it impossible for her to defend herself. She wished Logan would be there, or OC or Sketchy, even Normal would be good, just somebody who would distract her and ease the fear she felt. Hell, she would even appreciate if 301 would be there at the moment. But she wouldn't show them she was afraid, not even if her life would depend on it.

"You can kiss my genetically engineered ass!"

"I don't think so." He shook his head and sighed, but it didn't sound tired or frustrated, more amused. "Don't worry; the others were like you at the beginning but they're all right again."

'Others?' Max wanted to ask him, surprised by the fact that she and Brin apparently were not the only '09ers Manticore had caught again but she never got the chance to do so. The other male scientist was suddenly at her side and shoved something into her mouth. It was some sort of rubber gag, perhaps to prevent her from biting herself. She tried to spit it out but he had it secured already. Great! Now she couldn't move and couldn't even talk back properly. This day was getting better and better!

One of the women lowered some kind of metallic item towards her until it touched her face. Max recognized all too well and tried to get away from it as far as possible which of course was a futile attempt. The scientist worked methodically and it was clear this was not the first time she'd done that. When she was finished Max's right eye was held open by some sort of metallic ring. It hurt, her eye started to itch already and Max knew she would not be able close it perhaps for hours.

The second woman was moving the laser towards her. That little blood red laser light she hated so much and saw in her nightmares. She felt that she began to sweat and tried not to shiver. With the laser finally in place the scientists stepped back, leaving Max alone.

"You'll see", the first scientist said in his arrogant mocking voice, "you'll be as good as new after we're done with you."

That last comment made her angrier than anything she had seen or heard that day. She wasn't a goddamned toy he could repair or destroy just for his pleasure. She would make that bastard pay, she would…

That moment the laser came to life. The piercing red light made her eye hurt even more. She clenched her teeth and was glad for the rubber thing in her mouth or she surely would have hurt herself. Then images started to appear before her inner eye. The laser showed her pictures of soldiers in combat, of battles, of men killing and getting killed.

DUTY

_A soldier taking a bullet to protect his superior._

DISCIPLINE

_Soldiers advancing while under fire, some of them dying._

MISSION

_A bunker under attack from a flamethrower, the soldiers in it running out, all of them burning._

Max quickly forgot everything around her. The scientists, the cold room of PsyOps, Manticore, her friends, everything she had ever known had vanished until only those horrible pictures were in her head. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, some of them because of the pain her body felt but most of them because of her tormented mind. She didn't know when she started screaming, if it was after a minute or an hour but she screamed. Even with the gag in her mouth her screams were loud enough that even her brother in sickbay could hear her tormented soul. He closed his eyes shut and trembled, remembering his own time in that hell.

Eventually Max lost consciousness and the laser stopped.

"Not bad for the first session" the leading scientist said after a moment of silence. "She lasted almost an hour."

"You're an ass, Eric", one of the woman retorted with disgust in her voice. He just kept grinning.

"But an effective ass." When she didn't smile he sighed. "You take all of this much too serious, Cassy, just like Vertes did. You'll get used to it. Brian, call in the guards, they can take her to her cell."

"Nothing invasive today?" the other man asked.

"No, we take it slowly with this one; just the laser for now. Don't worry, we have time."

* * *

**So, Max is back and reindoctrination has started.**

**Sorry if it seems I like putting her through this - I don't - but it is what Manticore would be doing.**

**Let me know what you think!!**


	9. Chapter 9

And another chapter. I'm getting faster at the moment with updating but don't expect this to continue for too long (just enjoy it :)

**Taeniaea:** thanks again.

**roseyangel:** Glad you liked the last one. I won't forget about OC or Bling but for this chapter you'll have to do without them, sorry ;) Instead there's more about Manticore this time.

**To all:** Okay, let me warn you, this is not a nice chapter. It's about what happens to Max in PsyOps when Renfro is in charge of it. I hope you'll find it entertaining enough to leave me a review. Yeah, broad hint, I know ;)

* * *

Two months later

The black helicopter hovered for a moment in the air before it landed on Manticore's airfield. Three soldiers jumped out and made their way through the rain to the waiting van.

"You know, that sniper was really close", one of the soldiers – X5-494 – said when he got into the car. "We should have kept a greater distance."

"The distance was good." X5-451 started the engine. "Those Iranians still are terrible shots."

"Yeah, you would think they've learned something during the last decade but they're still shooting like they were in an amusement park", the only female soldier agreed with her CO. It was X5-154. She had grown up from the tiny girl she had been years ago and was now one of the X5 with the most outside experience. Her shoulder-length blonde hair and dark blue eyes stood in sharp contrast to the green cammo she wore but in a strange way this let her look even more attractive for any outsider. For 451 and 494 this was nothing new. 154 was their sister and they had been on many missions before. Seeing an attractive young woman in a battle dress was nothing new for them.

In the meantime they had arrived at the armory and got out. They handed over all of their weapons and ammunition to the Sergeant Major in charge and made their way to the debriefing with Major Coleman. The Major had been their instructor for most of their life whenever Lydecker wasn't around or occupied elsewhere. They trusted him and respected him for his behavior; he was always all military while around his X5 but they knew he respected them as soldiers as well and didn't punish them when not absolutely necessary. After the debriefing 154 and 494 left the room and 451 wanted to follow them and hit the showers but the Major held him back.

"451, the Colonel expects you in his office as soon as possible."

"Understood. Do you know why he wants to see me?" A few years ago even asking that question would have earned him severe punishment but during the last five or six years some of the instructors – the Colonel and Major Coleman in particular – had taught them to try and gain as much information as possible about a given order. This didn't mean the X5 started to question their orders but the learned that asking adequate questions in non-combat situations could provide them with useful information they would not have gotten otherwise. It had been strange at first that they were now allowed to ask questions but they had quickly learned what sort of question they could ask and when it was required to be quiet except for a 'yes sir!'.

Coleman shook his head. "No, just that you have to report there ASAP. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" 451 snapped at attention, saluted and waited for his superior to return the gesture before he turned on his heel and left the room.

While he made his way to Lydecker's office he was trying to find out why the Colonel wanted to see him. The mission had been a success and he usually would have to undergo several tests before Manticore would send him out again, just to be sure he was fully operational.

Which he was absolutely, by the way. He had made a full recovery from the Seattle incident and had been on top again within weeks. Only the fading scars on his right temple and his chest remembered him sometimes of that night when he had dangerously underestimated his target.

Target. That brought his thoughts back to his sister. X5-452 was still in PsyOps. She had been in there for two months now and he knew she would not be released for at least another five. Eventually her screaming had stopped for which he had been glad. That let him feel ashamed but hearing her tormented voice several hours each day had troubled him and also every other X5 who had been within earshot. They had been there, too. All of them after the '09 escape and some again after that because of mission failures or wrong behavior. They hated that place and almost all of them agreed that nobody deserved to be put in there, not even a '09er. And she was already the third of her unit who had to undergo that torture.

He shook his head and sighed silently; this was nothing he could change. When he arrived at the door to Lydecker's office he knocked slightly.

"Enter!"

He did as told and closed the door before standing at attention before his commanding officer.

"X5-451 reporting, sir!"

"At ease" Lydecker said without looking up from the notes on his desk. "How did the mission go?"

"We successfully neutralized the target, sir."

"Any complications?"

"We had to avoid several of their patrols and one sniper got quite close, but none of them was a real threat." 451 tried to sound all military but there was a slight undertone of pride in his voice. Lydecker suddenly looked up with a small smile on his face.

"Very good, soldier. Now, I'm sure you'd like to have a shower, a hot meal and some rack time but I do have another mission for you."

"Sir."

"It's quite difficult and has not been done before." Lydecker looked at him intensely. "It's not your usual 'area of operation'. You will have to improvise."

"I'm sure I can do it, sir."

The older man looked at the young X5 and smiled at his soldier's confidence.

"Good, that's what I wanted to hear. Now, as you certainly are aware of X5-452 is still undergoing reindoctrination. She is scheduled for another four months in PsyOps but I don't want to have another X5-734, that's why I want her to be released in three months from now on already. But this requires her to be ready in three months, you understand?"

451 nodded. X5-734 or Brin as she had called herself while outside Manticore had been the first of the three recaptured '09 escapees so far. PsyOps had taken such a toll on her she was now almost unable of independent actions, at least not to the amount the usual X5 should be capable of. Sure, she was loyal and efficient but she would never again be of use for deep covert operations or combat operations that required being alone in the field for several days or even weeks. They had been better with the second one but it had been mere luck. Of course the Colonel wanted to prevent 452 to become like 734, too.

"What do I have to do, sir?"

"Talk to her, try to find out what she's so reluctant of letting go her old life. Or why she hates the thought of coming back to us so much. PsyOps tried to find that out for weeks, but they don't have a clue, yet.

The X5 wasn't sure what he should think of this new order. On the one hand he was looking forward to see his sister again but on the other one he dreaded going down there, he dreaded what he would find.

"Sir" he answered hesitantly, not wanting to displease his superior, "With all due respect but I'm not sure if this is a good idea. After all I'm responsible for her being here again."

"And that's exactly why I want you to do it. I have a backup plan, too, but I think it would be best if she has somebody to talk to she already knows and you're the best choice at the moment. And besides that, you're identical to her on a genetic level; this might help you finding out what she's thinking."

"What about the other '09er." 451 was clearly not comfortable with the idea of seeing his sister while she was still in PsyOps. It would be hard enough after her release. "She would know her better than I do."

"Do you have a problem with this order, soldier?" Lydecker was now staring at him and his face hardened. Sure, Manticore had changed but this was still a military operation and he would not allow his subordinates to question or even refuse obeying orders.

451 recognized the change in his CO and straightened up. "Sir, no sir!"

"Good, then you will do as you are told. They should have finished the latest session about now so you can go there, I already informed the head scientist. Report to me today at 1900. Dismissed!"

451 saluted and quickly left the room. Once outside he had to breathe deeply and tried to calm down a little. He had to be more careful. It was hard for him and his fellow X5 to know when they could talk about their orders with the instructors and when they had to keep their mouths shut. How the hell did the ordinary soldiers do that, he was asking himself. After all they hadn't been trained their whole life to be soldiers like he had been.

He shook his head again and started walking. He only encountered one instructor and two scientists on his way down to the basement. Once there he stopped and looked around. Yes, just like he remembered it. It looked just like the rest of the base, only the lights seemed to be a little bit more dim, the air a little bit thicker. He felt his pulse quicken and remembered when he had been down here the last time, almost ten years ago. Slowly he made his way towards the section where PsyOps was located. More and more images flashed through his mind.

_Cold and hard restraints biting into his flesh while he tried to get free in panic_

"_Is that your barcode? ANSWER ME!"_

_Needles and knives tearing through his flesh_

_Chemistry unknown to him rushing through his veins, bringing him to a new level of pain_

_The red laser tearing into his eye_

_People with black masks hitting him until he lost consciousness_

_The pictures of the escapees_

_TRAITOR_

_RAT_

_DESERTER_

_The sound of 154 crying from weakness and pain on the examination table next to him_

_DUTY DISCIPLINE MISSION_

_The wetness of his own tears on his face_

_His own voice begging his tormentors to stop_

He stopped in his tracks and shook his head, feeling slightly dizzy. It took him a few seconds to regain his composure.

At least the physically worst part would be over for his sister already. The invasive actions, the beatings, the knives…they were only used during the first week, twelve days at a max, after that it was mostly drug induced hallucinations or the infamous laser. The pain was necessary to weaken the person before the real process of reindoctrination could start. After that it wasn't nice at all but it was bearable once you made it through the first week and the physical part was over.

Just when he continued walking the door at the end of the corridor opened and three men in guard uniforms left the room. But they were not the common Manticore guards. PsyOps had his own chain of command and since the '09 escape they didn't answer to the Colonel anymore but directly to Director Renfro. They were despised throughout the whole facility, not even Manticore black ops wanted to have to do anything with them.

"What are you doing here?" one of them asked menacingly when they came closer.

"Colonel Lydecker sent me. I have to talk to X5-452."

"It's all right, Steve, let him come in" one of the scientists shouted from the room.

The guard – Steve – just nodded and the three men walked past him. The young X5 could smell blood on them and it was not their own. He frowned and felt slightly disturbed. Something wasn't right, he thought when he entered PsyOps. Inside were only two scientists.

"We just finished with her, she's all yours" one of them said. "Her next session is in two hours. You can clean her up while you're here. Come on, Brian, let's give the children some private time."

The two men in their white coats left and closed the door. If they had known that it took 451 every ounce of self-discipline he had not to attack them right there they would have hurried to get out of that room instead of just walking.

When they were gone the X5 turned towards the only table that was occupied at the moment. A green curtain prevented him from seeing what was behind it but he already knew. With every step he took towards it the smell of blood, sweat and fear became more obvious. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. He briefly closed his eyes before he pushed the curtain aside.

A second later he wished he had not. It was one thing to suspect what had happened, it was a totally different thing to actually see it.

His sister lay on that table unconscious, the restraints still in place. The last time he had seen her her skin had been tanned; now it was in a sickly grey color. On her face, legs and arms he could see cuts and bruises, lots of them. Some of them blue or dark purple, others almost black and he knew the rest of her body didn't look any better. Her left eye was so swollen she would not even be able to open it if she wanted to. There was half-dried blood all over her skin and her gown and he could see the traces of tears on her cheeks.

This was wrong, this was so wrong. It had not been like that before, she hadn't been in here just for days or a week, she'd been here for two months, for god's sake, she should not anymore…

He stood there in shock for several seconds. How could they – how could anyone – do such a thing? But then again he remembered that they were nothing but meat in PsyOps' eyes. That thought let his rage against those scientists almost boil over but he managed to control himself. There were more important things to do now.

There was an IV-needle in her arm. He took it out, knowing that it was only pumping more drugs into her bruised body. He also took the rubber gag out of her mouth, tossing it aside. Carefully he loosened the restraints. There was blood on her wrists and ankles, too. He really tried not to hurt her further but suddenly she stirred.

"Don't…please." It was nothing. Not even a whisper. She only moved her swollen lips; she was too weak to actually pronounce the words.

"Shh, don't talk" he whispered to her in a soothing voice. "I'm not gonna hurt you. It's me, 451."

She moved her head a little but did not open her eyes.

"It's Wolf" he tried again forgetting about all the danger that came with using his name here in Manticore's heart itself, "your brother."

She finally opened her right eye and looked at him, her gaze unfocused, and it almost broke his heart when he saw all the despair, pain and fear that was there. He felt his own eyes starting to burn but he quickly forced his tears back. It was not his turn to feel helpless; he had to be strong for her now. She tried to say something but only managed to make a choking sound.

"Don't talk", he warned her again. "Wait."

He left her side and came back with a glass of water. He held it to her lips, much like she had done it all those weeks before in Seattle.

"It's water", he said in a low voice. "You must drink."

She obliged but started to cough after the first gulp. He took the glass away and could do nothing but wait until the coughing stopped. It made him feel almost physically in pain that he couldn't do anything while she was lying there, trying to calm down. When the coughing had stopped he tried again.

"Here. Easy now."

This time she drank more slowly and managed to empty the whole glass. He put it down and took a clean towel and poured some antiseptic on it.

"This could hurt a little bit, but I have to clean your wounds", he warned and looked at her apologetically. To his surprise she looked at him and her eyes seemed to be much more vivid than minutes before. He wondered how long those bastards hadn't given her anything to drink. Finally she nodded.

When he touched her first she hissed through clenched teeth but didn't move; she was too weak. He worked as quickly and carefully as he could but when he had cleaned and disinfected the cuts on her limbs and her face she was crying again. Silently, not making a sound but there were tears streaming down her cheeks again. He tossed the towel aside and did something he couldn't have imagined of ever doing: He slid his arms under her and lifted her off that cursed table as slowly as he could. She moaned in pain from the movement. When he was finally sitting on the floor with his back against the wall he tried to cover her body with a blanket that lay nearby.

When she was huddled up against him with her head against his chest she suddenly started shaking. He looked at her and already thought that she had a seizure when she started sobbing.

It was too much for the battle hardened soldier. All the pain, despair and fear radiating from her broke something in him and he felt his own tears dwell up. In this moment he wasn't a CO anymore, not an X5 or a soldier, he was just a brother who held his tormented sister in his arms and he felt that he was responsible for everything that had happened to her here. If only he hadn't brought her back!

"I'm so sorry" he whispered again and again. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know…it was never like that…I didn't…they shouldn't…I'm so sorry, Max, I'm so sorry…"

After minutes that felt like hours she finally calmed down. When the shaking had stopped he almost thought she had fallen asleep when she suddenly moved and tried to look at him.

"Wolf?" she asked him through tears, her voice barely audible. "Why are they doing this?"

"I don't know." He looked at her with pleading eyes a single tear running down his cheek. Never before he had felt so helpless; every sort of training he had received didn't help him and he didn't care either what Manticore would want him to do now. All that mattered was his sister. "I didn't know they would…please forgive me…forgive me…I didn't know…I didn't know…I'll make it okay…make it okay…please forgive me…"

They just sat there like that until she finally fell asleep.

Two hours later the doors suddenly opened and the two scientists along with the three PsyOps guards entered. When they saw the two X5 huddled up against each other they were surprised at the first moment, then one of the men in the white coats spoke in a stern voice:

"Why did you take her off the table? You had no order to do that! Get her back up there!"

Wolf looked at them with pure hatred in his eyes. He carefully stood up and positioned his sister against the wall so she wouldn't fall. She woke up in the process and her eyes darted back and forth between the five men and her brother.

"Wolf?" He could hear the rising panic in her voice but he had to concentrate on the guards now. He rose to full height and stood between her and the men before him, not saying a word.

"I said: get her back up!" The scientist angrily took a step towards Max but stopped dead in his tracks when a threatening and feral growl escaped the X5's throat.

"What the hell…" one of the guards said, bewildered by the young soldier's behavior.

"Well, I always told you they're nothing more than trained animals" the second scientist said after a short pause; then walked past his colleague and the guards towards Wolf and Max. "Make way, soldier, we will take care of her now!"

Wolf violently pushed him back. He stumbled over a small table and fell to the ground.

"Don't you dare touching her ever again!" the male X5 roared getting into his fighting stance.

The three guards drew their taser guns – each of them had two – and aimed at him while the first scientist was talking to somebody on the phone, probably asking for reinforcements.

"Stand down, soldier!" the leader of the small guard group shouted but Wolf only stared at him, waiting for them to make the next move. There was not much logic in his actions anymore; he couldn't take on three armed guards at once and then hope nobody would come to their aide. But it didn't matter, all he knew at the moment was that he mustn't let anyone come near Max.

Suddenly the door flew open again and three X5 poured into the room. The first was 301 followed by 494 and 154. Wolf quickly looked at them and the three guards took this as a sign to attack and fired their tasers; he managed to evade one of them but got hit by the others. Waves of electricity tore through his body. He fell to the ground screaming in pain, his vision blurred and he almost lost consciousness. Suddenly he heard more shouting, glass crashing and then suddenly the pain stopped. Strong hands lifted him up and dragged him away and out of the room. When he finally had regained his senses he was already outside the reindoctrination room. 494 and 154 were dragging him through the corridor and 301 was behind them acting like she was covering a retreat during battle.

"Let me down" he managed to say and his two fellow X5 let him carefully sink to the ground. He looked around frantically. "What happened?"

"PsyOps called for reinforcements" 494 explained. He looked confused. "When we entered the room the guards fired on you. We pushed them aside and carried you out of there. What were you doing in there anyway?"

"What? Wait…that means she's still in there?" He got to his feet at once and wanted to run to the now closed door but 301 and 154 blocked his way, holding him back.

"Let me go!" he growled but the two young women had no intention of doing so. They were already in trouble for having attacked the guards; they would not let him go back there.

"They've sealed themselves inside, you won't get in", 301 hissed angrily. What was going on with her partner? "Goddammit, will you calm down! Wolf!"

That last word brought him back to reality. He stopped struggling and took a few steps back, breathing heavily. The three X5 breathed a sigh of relief but kept their guard up. They all knew their CO was a force to be reckoned with especially when he was angry; and he seemed to be a lot more than just angry at the moment.

"Are you wounded? You've got blood on you." 154 finally asked. She sniffed. "Not yours."

"Go to the barracks", Wolf finally ordered like he hadn't heard her. "Wait for me there."

"Where are you going?" The young blond woman looked a little bit intimidated, never before she had seen her brother so angry.

"The Colonel."

And with that he darted off towards his CO's office. He didn't stop at the curious looks of any instructor or soldier standing by and didn't even bother knocking instead just opened the door and stormed into Lydecker's room. The Colonel was on the phone and looked up, first surprised, then angry.

"I will call you back", he said into the phone and then hung up. "I hope for you that you have a very good explanation for your behavior, 451."

"Colonel, due all your respect: We need to talk. Now!"

* * *

**Like I said, it's not a nice chapter but hey, you all know the raiting.**

**Well, it was an all Wolf/Max chapter but don't worry, I didn't forget about Logan, OC and all the others. And of course you'll see what Lydecker's going to do.**

**Okay, let me know what you think, please!**


	10. Chapter 10

Yup, I'm getting faster, but as I said, don't get used to this. I'm getting new recruits today and well...let's just say they're always trouble at the beginning ;)

**Taeniaea:** Thanks again, you're one of the fastest each time :)

**Alan Grey:** There you are again! It's always a pleasure to read your reviews. Sniper's the right word for Logan at the moment, you'll find out why in this chapter. Sorry about the other 09er, you're all wrong. You'll find out in this chapter, too. About Lydecker and Wolf: I always thought that a good leader is one that demands much from you but never somebody who wants to break you. I try to make both of them a little bit like that. And Renfro? Let's just say she will be in trouble during the next chapters. I'm still thinking about all the other suggestions you made so far and I haven't decided yet. Sorry about that but I will need some time, hope you don't feel insulted! ;) Hope to read a review from you again soon! Thank you very much!!

**Divine Fighter:** Yeah, I really am trying not to make Wolf one of the bad guys, he's Max biological brother, after all, he can't be that bad, can he ;) Yes, there will be something about Brin, but not yet. Just a little patience, please! Thank you again!

* * *

To say Donaly Lydecker was furious would have been the understatement of the century. The man storming through the grey corridors of Manticore was boiling with rage. He had been angry with 451 to have stormed into his office without warning and had already thought about putting him in PsyOps along with Max; enough was enough, he had given some freedom to his soldiers but there were things that just couldn't be tolerated. Upon seeing the serious face of his top operator he had changed his mind and decided to listen what the young X5 had to say. He had been skeptical at first but when the young man had finished his face had been red with anger and he knew if only half of the things his soldier had told him were true heads would roll. Literally.

Now he was on his way to PsyOps and the three X5 who were with him had to watch it if they wanted to keep up with him; on his left was 451. The CO of unit two, Max's future unit, had a stone cold expression on his face and didn't look left or right once. The blond 154 marched to his right and seemed to be nervous. She didn't show it but Lydecker knew the youngest member of unit two hated being in unknown situations. Nevertheless he needed her to take care of Max if she was really injured as badly as 451 had described it and Lydecker didn't doubt it one second; the boy had never lied to him.

Behind him he could hear the steady steps of 301. He had argued with himself if he really wanted her to be on this weird sort of mission but decided she would be the best choice to handle 451 if he would go off the rails.

The older man felt something else under his boiling rage. Fear. Renfro had assured him Max would undergo exactly the same procedure like 210 but apparently that bitch had lied. Again. He was afraid that there had already been done too much damage to his Max; that she would never be the same again. Or that she would even…

No! He violently shook his head. He wouldn't even think about that. He would make sure she would be alright!

They entered the basement and marched towards the still closed door of the reindoctrination room. The head scientist had told him on the phone that they had sealed themselves in and would only open to him. When they reached the door the small group stopped.

"Now" Lydecker began in his best command voice. "I want everybody to be clear about this. We will enter that room and you will do nothing if not ordered by me, understood?"

"Yes, sir!" the three X5 answered in unison.

"Good. 154, as soon as we get in there you are to take care of 452. You will not leave her side until I tell you to, got it?"

"Loud and clear, Colonel." The blond girl nodded and seemed to grow more confident. She was her unit's official medic and this was a job perfectly made for her.

"451 and 301 you are only here to provide assistance to 154 if she needs it. Don't do anything else unless I say so, is that clear?"

"Yes, sir!" Kyla replied and looked to her partner for confirmation.

"451?"

"Crystal, sir." Wolf's voice was blank of any emotion and he looked at the Colonel with cold eyes. He wouldn't do anything out of his own motivation but he was looking forward to one of the five bastards in that room to do something stupid.

Lydecker nodded after some seconds and turned towards the intercom left to the door and pressed a button. He waited a few moments for the connection to establish.

"PsyOps, this is Lydecker. I'm standing before the door, open up!"

"Is that really you, sir?" came the doubtful answer from one of the guards seconds later.

"Yes, it's me, open the door, dammit!"

The three X5 exchanged surprised glances; they didn't hear the Colonel cursing often.

A few seconds later they heard somebody approaching the door and several locks being unlocked before one of the scientists, the one Wolf had attacked earlier, opened the door a little. He smiled relieved when he saw the Colonel but his expression changed to a more anxious one when he saw Wolf standing there, too.

"Colonel, I…" he began but was cut off by a very impatient Lydecker who just took a step forward and pushed the door fully open.

"Just shut up and let me in" the older man snarled forcing his entry. Inside the other scientist and the three guards were looking at him with relief and expectation but they straightened up when they saw the three X5 following him.

"Colonel, why…" the guard leader began but like before Lydecker interrupted him.

"What do you not understand when I say 'shut up'? That goes for all of you! Now, where is she?"

When none of the five men answered seemingly too puzzled by the Colonel's behavior Wolf pointed towards the closed curtain. 154 understood well enough and made her way over there. When she opened the curtain a little everyone in the room could hear her gasp.

"I'm gonna need some help" she called out after a few seconds. "301, can you come over here?"

"Coming" Kyla said and left the Colonel's side. When she reached the examination table Wolf heard her murmur: "What the hell…?"

"Colonel, what are you doing?" the leading scientist addressed Lydecker. "X5-452 has been placed under the command of PsyOps."

"And she will be placed here again if the accusations I've heard earlier prove to be false." The head of the Wyoming facility looked at the man in his white coat coldly. From the corner of his eyes he could see Kyla lifting up Max and walking towards the door with 154 behind her. One of the guards took a step forward to hold her back but Wolf was quickly to step in between them. Astonished the man stumbled back and reached for his baton but froze when he saw the grim smirk on the X5's face.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you" the Colonel said icily. The guard looked at him and finally stepped back. "Some of my soldiers will escort you to your quarters; until they arrive you will stay in this room. Good evening, gentleman!"

He signed Wolf to get out and followed the two female X5. Both were waiting for them in the corridor with Kyla still having Max in her arms. The Colonel approached her and looked at the unconscious form of his child. Max's body was wrapped in a blanket but the bruises on her face and the wounds on her ankles and feet told him enough.

"How is she" he asked 154 in a hoarse voice. The blond X5 looked at him with incertitude and shook her head.

"Her pulse is low and from I can say until now she has several rips. I'm not sure but there may be some internal bleeding, too. Sir, she needs immediate medical attention"

"Bring her to the medical wing and assist Doctor Cottle if needed. 301, you go with her and secure the door. Nobody gets in except the medical staff or people who are with me, is that clear?"

"All clear, Colonel!" The short haired woman nodded towards 154 and together they ran towards sickbay.

"Colonel, I…" Wolf began but Lydecker nodded already.

"I know what you want to say. You're with 301 tonight, go!"

Wolf nodded shortly and raced after the others. Lydecker watched him leaving and shook his head. That boy certainly cared about those under his command and every other X5, too.

He felt like screaming at the top of his lungs but his military training held the rage against the ones who had hurt his Max and the fear he felt for his child at bay. He sighed frustrated and made his way to his office. There were some calls to be made. That thought brought a grim smile to his lips. It was payback time!

* * *

In Seattle Logan was sitting in his office and spoke into the camera:

"…exact location and the officials behind project Manticore are yet to be revealed but they cannot hide forever."

He turned off the camera and was about to begin editing the recording when somebody behind him cleared his throat. He turned around to see Original Cindy standing in the doorway.

"Hey, OC" he smiled, "I didn't hear you. How are you?"

"You seemed to be quite occupied", she nodded towards his computers. "So, you're going public?"

"Yeah, I think it's time to start the action" Logan meant with a sly grin and wheeled himself out of the office towards the kitchen. "Why? Do you think it's too early?"

"I don't know; you have more experience on that field."

Logan looked at his friend and couldn't help but continue grinning. It had been about two months now since he had told OC everything he knew about Manticore and the X5. Of course the woman had been incredulous and skeptical at the beginning, had almost hit him when she had heard the first time her best friend should be a genetically enhanced killing-machine, but when he had showed her some of his records and revealed to her that he was Eyes Only she had started to believe him. With enough time she had also remembered some occasions when Max had acted in ways an ordinary human being would or could not. It had been strange at first. That girl had been her friend for years and had never told her about her true nature. Of course OC felt a little bit offended for her friend's lack of trust but then again when thinking about it long enough she also saw why Max had never told her. People were afraid of things they didn't know or couldn't understand. She being a lesbian knew that better than almost anybody else.

So she became a member of the Eyes Only informant network. Whenever she wasn't working for Jam Pony she came to the Foggle Towers and helped Logan in his search for their friend. The poor guy spent almost all of his time looking for her. He had almost forgotten about all his other work until one day that woman from the S1W – Asha – had called and asked what was going on. Since then he had even doubled his work: On the one hand he still spent hours, days even weeks for his search for Max but on the other hand he had continued his crusade as Eyes Only. Asha had been right; if he stopped making his appearance as cyber-journalist and then suddenly came up with the Manticore story after months of silence it would be obvious for every Manticore operator – at least for the ones that had seen him and Max together – who Eyes Only really was and he would be dead within hours. So Logan had – with the help of Bling, OC, Asha and his informants – continued his never-ending fight against crime, corruption and injustice to keep his cover intact while frantically searching for the friend he had lost.

"Where's Bling?" OC suddenly asked while Logan was making coffee.

"Shopping." That short answer earned him a muffled laugh and he looked at Max's former co-worker with another sly grin. "Hey, even Eyes Only has to eat sometimes."

"Glad you finally remembered that", OC retorted suddenly looking more serious. During the first weeks that boy had barely eaten and was quickly falling apart until she, Asha and Bling had helped him back on his feet. Or, well, back into that exoskeleton of his. He noticed her serious glance and nodded.

"I know I haven't been too easy to be around the last few weeks. I'm sorry."

"Don't be, Original Cindy understands. After all you were always trying to get my boo out of that hole", Cindy tried to lighten the mood. "Had any luck?"

"Nope. They really are good when it comes to that hiding thing. I've got a piece here and another one there but nothing really useful. That's part of why I want to go public with this now. Perhaps it will make them nervous enough to make a mistake." He handed her over a cup of hot coffee.

"Let's hope so." OC took a few sips and suddenly had a very pleased look on her face. "Why didn't I know earlier that being and top secret Eyes Only operative has so many advantages?"

"Like?"

"Fresh coffee", she answered almost dreamily. "You have no idea but I think I'm addicted to this stuff by now."

"Just make sure you never come near his fridge then" an amused voice from the door suddenly said, "or you'll eat yourself to death."

"Bling!" OC exclaimed happily and embraced the big man in a tight hug. She was still strictly into women only but if she would have the choice Bling would be her brother for a long time by now. She had liked that man with his calm and congenial behavior from the beginning and was always glad to see him. "It's been some time!"

"Hey there!" he laughed. "You alright?"

"Of course! Just unnerving your boss! The usual."

"I'm sure of that. Logan? I saw Asha on the market. She told me she had something about that judge the two of you are after."

"Great!" Logan sighed rubbing his eyes. Now his report about Manticore would have to wait even longer. It was one thing to know that what he was doing was the right thing but actually doing it while knowing Max back in that personal hell of hers was just…he sighed again.

OC felt his inner turmoil and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Easy there, superboy. We will get her out."

He looked at her and then at Bling who was eyeing him sympathetically before he finally nodded. "Yeah, we will get her out. Okay, Bling, what did she say?"

* * *

Max slowly opened her eyes but all she could see was a blurry white. White? She suddenly felt confused. PsyOps wasn't white. It was all grey and cold but she didn't feel cold either. She felt warm and comfortable like that table under her had suddenly become very soft. She blinked a few times until her eyes adjusted to the bright light. She wasn't in PsyOps anymore, or at least it didn't look like PsyOps. She was lying in a bed with a thick blanket covering her body. The room was small but bigger than the cell the guards had brought her to between the sessions and it didn't smell of blood and fear. On the wall were several x-ray pictures and besides the bed were several monitors. She tried to move but found out that she was still in restraints. It didn't bother her anymore, she was almost used to them now, but they were not like the black restraints that had been used on her during all those weeks. Sure, they held her in place but they didn't hurt.

Suddenly she heard footsteps approaching and felt her pulse rise again. They were here again! They would hurt her again and she still had no possibility of escape. Outside the door she heard a man saying something but it didn't sound like one of the scientists or guards that had come to her until now. The door opened and a man in a white coat she had never seen before entered and closed the door behind him. He had white hair and his face proved of a hard life, yet his eyes seemed kind. But Max did not let her be fooled again. She had a minute tops before he would start hurting her. She tried to get up and away but the restraints held her back and suddenly her whole body was in pain. She hissed through clenched teeth and fell back onto the bed.

"Now, now!" the white haired man said in a mixture of slight annoyance and concern. "It's a little bit too early for you to get up, young lady."

She looked at him but didn't make a sound. During the last two months she had learned that speaking only meant more pain, more beating, more cutting. She had sworn to herself not to show her fear but that had been in another life, when she had been Max Guevara. Now she even had problems sometimes to remember that name. She looked at the man and her eyes held the fear of what he would do to her. She could do nothing, couldn't move, couldn't defend herself, the restraints made sure of that.

He looked at her for some seconds until he spoke again.

"My name is Doctor Cottle, I'm the head physician of this facility. I'm not PsyOps." His voice was deep and gruff but she couldn't help but thinking about this man to be much more comforting than anyone in PsyOps had been. But she kept looking at him with distrust. He continued. "I'm here to help you. I know it's hard to believe for you after what you've been through, but I really do. You've been here for two days now, since your fellow X5 brought you in."

Fellow X5? She didn't know anyone here? Or did she? The last days were nothing but a blur to her.

"You have three broken rips and a concussion. Other than that you had countless bruises and cuts all over your body when they brought you in." He had turned towards the x-rays on the wall but now turned towards her again. "Don't worry, we were able to fix all of your broken bones and with enough time your body should be able to heal completely." He looked at her intensely but Max saw something in his eyes she had almost forgotten it existed. Sympathy. "Now, I'm really sorry for what happened to you and I want you to know that neither I nor anyone of my staff knew of what they were doing to you down there until they brought you here. But we are in charge of you now and I will assure you get the best care possible. But for that I have to examine you, you understand?"

Max just kept staring at him without moving. After a few seconds of silence Cottle smiled sadly.

"I see you're still afraid of me. Don't worry, I understand. Now, as you must know, Colonel Lydecker gave the order that nobody is allowed to do anything without your approval. So, if I will approach you now it is only because I have to check on your IV. I will not do anything further without you saying yes, is that okay for you?"

Lydecker ordered such a thing? It did sound so ludicrous she almost believed it to be true. But that man seemed so nice. None of the PsyOps people had ever talked to her like that and if he was PsyOps why should he bother asking for her permission? She bit on her lip and looked at him with sudden incertitude.

"Did you understand, 452?" he asked again when she didn't answer. "If you don't want me to do that it's okay, I will leave and come back later when you feel better about it. But your injuries need medical attention."

She shot him an incredulous glance. He really seemed to be serious.

"Did you understand, what I said, 452? If you don't want me to do it I will go now. What do you say?"

She watched him for a few more seconds until she finally nodded reluctantly. What could he do with the IV and anyway, what could she do to stop him.

"Okay", he smiled reassuringly and approached her slowly trying not to scare her further. Her eyes followed every movement he made. He checked if the IV was still in place and the medicaments flowing as they should. When he checked the needle in her arm and touched her she jerked and whimpered slightly. He took a step back and held his arms up like in surrender.

"I'm sorry; I didn't want to scare you." He paused and waited until she had calmed down before he spoke again: "Now, I have to check on the injuries on your limbs. I will have to remove the blanket but I will put it back as soon as I'm finished. You okay with that?"

It took her less time to nod this time but she still was reluctant. When he took the blanket away she could see that she wore another nightgown that went down almost to her knees, but this one wasn't blood stained and it smelled like it had been fresh out of the laundry only hours ago. Still, she felt very vulnerable like that, tied down and almost unable to move but somehow she felt a very slight confidence towards the older doctor. He didn't touch her this time, just looked at the injuries very closely. She lifted her head and took a look at her arms and legs. What she saw almost made her feel sick. Her limbs were blue and purple and yellow all over and she saw all the cuts for the first time in weeks.

"Don't look, girl, it doesn't do you any good" Cottle suddenly said very softly. She obliged and let her head sink back into the pillow. When he was done Cottle wanted to shift her nightgown a little bit to have a better look at the wounds on her thighs but Max suddenly jerked back violently and whimpered again totally scared. He backed off. "I'm sorry, girl, I'm sorry."

He waited again until she had calmed down a little bit but he could clearly see that she was more scared again.

"You don't want me to do that?" She viciously shook her head. "Okay, then I won't do it. Don't worry, it's all right. 451, please come in!"

Max didn't know what to think anymore. All she knew about Manticore was that she had been tortured since the day they had brought her back and none of her actions, her words and her pleas had stopped them and now there was this old man who stopped doing what he had to do in his job just because she told him not to? Was she going crazy?

The door opened again and a young man with short hair and grey eyes. He wore a black uniform and approached the bed slowly. It took her a few seconds to recognize him. It was 451, Wolf, her brother. She knew she had seen him before they had brought her back to Manticore; he had been the one that brought her back. But had she seen him after that again? She wasn't sure.

"Okay, 452" Cottle spoke up again. "I have to check the bandages on your wrists and ankles but for that I have to loosen the restraints. 451 is just here to help me, do you understand? Are you okay with this?"

She nodded again but her eyes rested focused on her brother. He avoided her gaze and seemed to be only concentrated on his task. He loosened the restraints on her ankles and stepped back so Cottle could do his work. When the older man nodded he closed the restraints again but made sure they were not too tight. He then proceeded and did the same thing with the restraints on her wrists. He was so close she could clearly smell him. His touch, his smell, being so close to him, it remembered her of something but she wasn't sure, what it was. When Cottle bent down to check the bandages images started flashing through her head.

"_I'm so sorry…I didn't know…I'm so sorry, Max"_

_A single tear running down his cheek_

"_Please forgive me"_

When Wolf bent down to tie her arms to the bed again she suddenly reached out and touched his hand. He looked up surprised and for the first times their eyes met. They remained like that for about half a minute before Max spoke, her voice hoarse:

"Wolf? Were you…down there?" she whispered hesitantly, "with me?"

He swallowed hard and she could see something new in his eyes. Guilt. And also shame. Finally he nodded.

"Yeah, I've been there." His voice sounded as hoarse has hers like he hadn't spoken a word in a long time. "I'm so sorry, Max."

When he had finished his task he suddenly turned towards Cottle who looked at them with a glint of amusement in his eyes.

"Don't worry", the old man said and chuckled slightly despite the seriousness in his voice. "Your secret's safe with me."

Wolf seemed to relax and even Max felt relieved somehow. She didn't remember much at the moment but she knew names were something forbidden in this place.

The two men put the blanket back on her and she couldn't help but breathe a small sigh of relief. Before they left Cottle turned one last time towards her.

"There's somebody outside who would like to talk to you. Don't worry, 451 will be right outside and you can send her away anytime you want. I will look after you again in a few hours. Goodbye, 452."

The two of them left the room but Wolf glanced back at her one last time but looked away as soon as her eyes found his. But he wasn't fast enough and Max got a glimpse of that guilt and shame in his eyes again. Why should he…?

She didn't finish that straight of thoughts before a young woman about her age in the same uniform that Wolf wore entered the room and closed the door. She approached Max slowly and finally took a seat on a chair next to her bed. Max eyed her and couldn't help but think that she knew that woman. She had short brown hair and green eyes. She had a small scar on her forehead and looked at Max with a mixture of joy and sadness.

"Hello, baby-sister" she finally said smiling.

Max could only stare at her until her lips move and she whispered the name she thought to have forgotten: "Jondy."

* * *

**Okay, so Max's back awake and even found one of her siblings. I'm back to being nice again.**

**So, tell me what you think, please!!**


	11. Chapter 11

Okay, okay, yes I know I said it would take me more time to update but at the moment I just can't stop. This chapter is shorter though. Hope you still enjoy.

**Divine Fighter:** Well, sorry :) I didn't think one of you would think about Jondy. It always bothered me she wasn't seen in the series while she seemed to have been very close with Max back in their childhood. About Lydecker I have to say he sometimes reminds me of my own superior. Grumpy old bastard but loyal to the core to his men.

**throwerpro:** Welcome back and thanks to you too. Well, if you want to read more, here is more.

**Taeniaea:** Thanks again, Taeniaea.

Here we go!

* * *

Max felt overwhelmed having her long lost sister at her side again.

"I thought I would never see you again" she said in a low voice not because she was afraid but because speaking still hurt.

"Same here, Maxie." Jondy smiled broadly. She had come home just some hours ago from her mission and the Colonel had filled her in about what had happened to Max. She was allowed to use their old names for the moment, if only to reassure Max. She looked at her younger sister's bruised face and her eyes were filled with sorrow and sympathy. "My god, what did they do to you?"

"I will live. How are you?"

"That's my sister!" Jondy laughed. "You're the one lying in a hospital bed, not me. But as a matter of fact I'm fine. Just got home. I'm sorry I wasn't here when they brought you back."

Suddenly Max realized what it meant if Jondy was here too and her happy expression faltered. "So they got you, too? I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." The brown-haired transgenic just kept smiling. "I don't feel miserable about it."

"But why?" Max had regained some of her strength and looked at her sister in sudden disbelief. "Zack told me you had a life out there."

"Yeah, right!" Jondy snorted. "If you call working in that shit-hole of a bar every night and fighting for survival every day a life."

"But don't you miss your freedom?"

"I did at first, but when you look at it closely enough life out there is not that much different from the one in here."

"At least I don't get tortured out there!"

Jondy nodded sadly and took another look at her sisters still pretty much beaten up face.

"No, probably not. But you and I know there are people out there dying every day just because they are in the wrong place at the wrong time. At least in here I have people around me who look out and care for me. And in here I don't have to hide what I am. Don't get me wrong: What happened to you was not supposed to happen, not ever, not to anyone. I don't know who is responsible for this but everyone on the base is feeling miserable about it; the other X5s, 301 and 451 in particular, even the instructors and the Colonel."

"Does that mean I should feel better about it?" Max snapped feeling her anger returning. Apparently Doc Cottle and his staff had really done some good work for she felt stronger every minute or perhaps it was just the boiling rage inside her searching for a target. Jondy looked at her with a shocked expression.

"No, that's not what I wanted to say! But you shouldn't judge everybody here like those bastards from PsyOps."

"I do not care, Jondy" Max hissed partly in physical pain again because those painkillers seemed to wear off but also because she felt betrayed. How could her sister talk like that? "I don't want to be here, I never did. I want to be free, far away from Lydecker and his goddamned military games. They brainwashed you, can't you see it?"

"No, Max, they didn't." Jondy sadly shook her head. "I saw what they did to Brin, that's brainwashing; she remembers almost nothing from her former life. When they brought me in Lydecker somehow managed the reindoctrination to be less forceful. I got reindoctrinated, yes, but it was nothing like the things that have happened to Brin or even you. I remember everything but I still chose to stay here out of my free will. It's where we belong, it's our home."

"But how can you work for the men who took Jack away, for Lydecker who shot Eva?"

"I've had a hard time figuring it out, too, Max" the slightly older X5 assured her, "but we were children back then. We saw everything through the eyes of young and inexperienced children. Sure, it was their fault too; they should have given us some explanations which they didn't. Let me ask you something, what did they do after Jack had died?"

"They took him away and dissected him" Max growled remembering that night when she had sneaked out of their bedroom. She had seen her brother's corpse lying on that examination table, the scientists around him with their bloodstained instruments and Lydecker standing by drinking coffee.

"They didn't just dissect him", Jondy disagreed. "He had been killed by some sort of seizures, seizures we were all gonna have, you know what I'm talking about, your seizures were the main reason we escaped. The scientists were trying to find out what was wrong with Jack so they would be able to cure all of us. They didn't kill him, he was already dead."

Max pressed her lips together and looked away. She had been so happy to see her sister again but now it seemed to turn out that even she believed Manticore's lies. The problem was: Her arguments sounded reasonable.

"And Eva" Jondy continued in a calm but persistent voice. "I know what you think; I know what you see in your dreams. You see your sister getting shot while trying to protect you, a girl you've grown up together and who gave her life to save yours."

"Stop it!" Max suddenly shouted.

"Do you know what Lydecker saw?" Jondy continued her voice louder now ignoring her sister's protests. She knew it was painful to see that particular truth, she had felt and acted the same way like her little sister did now when she had heard the words for the first time. "He didn't see a child, he didn't see a little girl. All he could see was a highly trained soldier with a gun threatening him and his subordinates. We let him no choice, it was our fault! We should have held Eva back. She got herself killed because we were not strong enough to hold her back!"

"Shut up!" Max screamed at the top of her lungs ignoring the pain in her throat. "Shut up! I don't want to hear it anymore! I don't… I don't want…I don't…I don't know what to believe anymore."

She had been screaming but the last sentence had been a mere whisper. Jondy looked at her trembling sister and couldn't help but reach out and carefully caress her cheek.

"It's alright", she whispered soothingly. She still remembered how confused she had been after her first sessions in PsyOps; how much worse had it to be for Max? "I didn't want to yell at you, I'm sorry. You'll see, with enough time you will remember anything exactly like it had been but this time you will also understand Manticore's point of view. Lydecker and the instructors…they can be assholes sometimes but they have changed and we have changed, too. And believe it or not, but the Colonel does care about us."

Max just looked at her silently, her latest outburst seemed to have consumed what little strength she had managed to build up. Finally Jondy stood up and looked at her with a confident smile.

"You'll find your way out of this Max, I know it. You've always been the stronger one." Suddenly her smile wavered and she added in a lower voice. "Be strong, Maxie, you have to be. I don't know if Icould bear it losing you again. See you soon."

"Don't go" Max voice was back to a half-whisper again. "Jondy, don't go."

"I have to, I'm sorry, but I'll be back as soon as I can." Before she opened the door she looked back at her sister a last time. "I'm really happy to see you again, Max, I want you to know that. If you need anything, just call 451, he's standing right outside. Goodnight."

When she had left the room and closed the door Jondy closed her eyes for some brief seconds and breathed heavily.

"Tough argument?"

At his voice Jondy jumped slightly and then looked at him clearly annoyed. She had known he was there but still he always managed to freak her out and considering the smirk on his face he enjoyed it.

"I told you about a hundred times not to sneak up on me like that!" Despite him being her CO she knew without the guards or instructors around she could use a more aggressive tone but he just kept grinning.

"Couldn't resist." Suddenly his face became serious again. "How is she?"

"Confused." The female transgenic shrugged. "You know how it is after the first sessions and god knows what they did to her. It will take her some time."

"At least she has someone she can trust now."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that" she mused hesitantly. "It will take a lot of time to make her understand. What were those fuckers thinking?"

"I don't know, but as we know the Colonel he will take care of it. You should get some sleep. Shark DNA or not you could use it."

"I'm not tired, but you should get some. From what I've heard you've been standing here since they brought her in."

"I will stay. Report back to the barracks, 210."

"Understood." Jondy nodded but added, "I understand why you think you have to be here and I'm sure Max would appreciate it, but even a CO needs to lie back sometimes."

"Not tonight."

'_And neither tomorrow or the day after tomorrow'_ was all Jondy could think. 451 was a great leader who cared about those under his command but sometimes this lead him to wear himself out too much and they both knew that there were limits even for the X5s. She mentally shook her head. It would be of no use if she started arguing with him, she had tried once and the result had not been pretty.

"Goodnight, 451" was all she said before she disappeared into the labyrinth of grey corridors.

* * *

Meanwhile in the conference room of the facility a cold and dangerous discussion was taking place. There were five people in the dark room. One was Colonel Lydecker. He had just finished his recapitulation of what had happened to Max in PsyOps. In front of him was Elizabeth Renfro. At the beginning she had been the perfect picture of self-confidence but after Lydecker had presented his cause and the written witness statements from the two scientists and the three guards that had 'treated' Max her behavior had changed; she didn't seem too eager anymore to be where she was at the moment.

"Do I get this right, Director Renfro" the third person in the room who was sitting right to Lydecker spoke up. It was Colonel James McGinnis, Lydecker's friend and ally. "Your men were torturing X5-452 for two months without any psychological treatment?"

"It was a necessary step", Renfro tried to defend her actions. Denying that it had been her who ordered 452's special treatment would have been fatal, every one of the five men under her command had written pretty much the same: That she had given the order. "452 has been outside for a very long time, she needed to be broken first before reindoctrination could start."

"If I remember correctly there has been another 09er who had to undergo PsyOps not too long ago. Which one was it again, Donald?"

"X5-210", Lydecker answered without taking his eyes of Renfro. If only there would be the slightest chance she would be dead already. He had thought about strangling her so often during the last days his hands still hurt.

"If I remember correctly she had to undergo a very different sort of PsyOps treatment, what was the result?"

"Well, she just came home from her first deep covert operation some hours ago. The operation has been a full success." He just loved the way Lizzy was looking at him right now. They had never liked each other but they had managed to work together but from this moment on he would do anything he could to destroy that woman. McGinnis nodded, smiling.

"So, I understand that you're actions were not necessary at all, Director. We need soldiers, not trained vegetable like X5-734."

"You can't just compare them like they were all the same" Renfro tried to save her position. "They are very different and need to be treated differently."

"And how the hell would you know that?" It was the first time since the meeting had started Lydecker lost his composure. "You don't know anything about them. I trained them for almost ten years and spent the next nine looking for them. If anybody knows what and how they are it's me and let me tell you one thing: 210 and 452 have always been close to each other. The same sort of thinking, acting and feeling. If 210 turned out to be alright and properly reindoctrinated the procedure used on her would have had the same impact on 452."

"How dare you…" Renfro hissed and stood up but one of the last two people in the room interrupted her.

"Director, sit down!" He was a four star general and his voice made it clear he hadn't gotten that rank in his office but out in the field. Reluctantly the blond woman obliged. "Now, for my turn I have heard enough, what about you, senator?"

The last man wearing an expensive black suit hadn't spoken a word during the whole meeting but this just made him appear more dangerous. Even now when he was looking from one to another you could feel the amount of power this man was used to have. Finally he nodded.

"Very well", the general straightened up a little bit. "Colonel Lydecker, what do you think? Will X5-452 be able to return to active duty?"

"Yes, sir, but we will need time."

"Acknowledged. Director Renfro, I'm revoking your status as head of PsyOps with immediate effect. Your actions did already limit the possibilities of X5-734 and know your misjudgment almost cost us another X5. This cannot be tolerated. You are to report to my office tomorrow. There you will receive further orders." Renfro grew even paler than she already was but was smart enough to remain quiet. "This meeting is cancelled, good evening."

Everyone got up and waited until the senator and the general had left. Renfro was quick to follow them but the last glance she shot at Lydecker was one of pure hatred.

"You'll have to watch that woman, Deck", McGinnis said. "She lost a battle but now you pissed her off."

"Good. If she's angry she will start to make mistakes." Lydecker shook his friend's hand. "Thank you for helping me here, James."

"Just paying back some of my debts. Good luck!"

Lydecker watched him leave and stood in the now deserted room for a few moments. Sure, Renfro was an enemy to be feared especially when she started to take things personally but it had been worth it. Finally he had full control over his base again, no PsyOps guards, no foreign scientists anymore. He smiled to himself while making his way towards the medical wing.

Suddenly there was a piercing scream tearing through the otherwise silent base. It was full of agony and an almost feral fear and Lydecker recognized that voice in an instant.

_Max!_

He didn't remember when had been the last time he had run that fast. His body started to hurt but he didn't care; his child was in danger. When he approached Max's room the door was open and there was no sign of 451.

_Oh no! Max!_

He drew his gun and stormed into the room.

* * *

**Okay, not the all happy family reunion but that wouldn't have sound very logical to me at that moment.**

**And what's going on in Max's room? Come on, you all should know by now I love cliffhangers!**

**(and reviews *grins wickedly*)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Taeniaea:** Thanks again, fast a usual *gg*

**Divine Fighter:** You'll see about Logan in this chapter. I'm taking it a little bit slow on Max this time, but not for long anymore.

**Alan Grey:** Forget about shortening your reviews, I'll just make longer breaks (just kidding). As I said, there will be more about Jondy later, I need to think about something for her. Yes, I took Cottle from BSG, forgive me, but he's my favorite tv doc, ok that's not entirely true, I like House too, but I can't imagine him in Manticore...coud be fun, though. About the grey side: I've read Season 2 Redo and totally loved that story (hope aurora242 will update again soon) and I'm thinking about something similar but haven't decided yet.

Thanks for your comment about my English but I have to admit the online dictionary is very helpful too. And no, Zack is not in Manticore, you'll hear about him in the next few chapters. I've been thinking about your question and I have decided that 'Out' would be a good point. It doesn't work with Logan already having his exoskeleton but I hope you can forgive about this mistake, so from now on the story goes AU after 'Out'.

Ok, this took me a little bit more than 12 hours but I hope you're still out there (got you a little bit spoiled during the last week, eh? Just kidding :))

**roseyangel:** Thanks again, but I have to warn you, no cliffhanger this time ;)

**tylee17:** Sorry, but sometimes I AM the definition of mean. You'll hear more about Jondy later, she's not just Manticore's little pet soldier again at all, but you'll have to wait and see. I really am glad you're still with me. I hope I can keep you interested enough to stay. And if not, you know it, just give me a little kick to put me back on the right road. Thanks for reviewing again!!

**Thanks to all of you who read and review this story, you're awesome!!!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"_During the final years of the last century a military project was started. Its objective was to create genetically enhanced soldiers. In the year 2009 twelve of the prototypes escaped. They were children who were used and abused by their handlers. Today they are living among us trying to evade the shady agency that is still after them. It cannot be tolerated that parts of the military has been abusing children to reach their goals and Eyes Only will not rest until they are exposed and punished for their acts. The exact location and the officials behind this project are yet to be revealed but they cannot hide forever. This has been an Eyes Only streaming freedom video. Peace. Out!"_

Logan smiled when the monitor went black knowing that the whole population of Seattle would have seen this now. After weeks of investigation and arguing with Bling, OC and Asha he had finally decided that it was time to let the public know about Manticore. They, of course, would see this too and he was eager to see what his little publication would let them do. He hoped they would make a mistake, like trying to find out who Eyes Only was and giving him the opportunity to track down Manticore's main base. It was a tiny hope but it was better than sitting around and waiting for one of his informants to come up with some useful information. Already his informants were looking out for Lydecker or one of his TAC teams to enter Seattle but he knew even Manticore would need at least a day to decide what to do next and deploy its forces. It was a waiting game now.

"You sure you doing the right thing, suga?" OC asked from behind him.

"We need to do something" Logan said, turning around. He wore his exoskeleton and was, for a change, able to look down at the shorter woman. "We have tried everything else for over two months now and what did we find? Nothing. We need Lydecker to make the next move."

"Which hopefully will not be storming in here with a bunch of his soldiers." It had been Asha who said that. The leader of S1W was sitting on the couch looking at Logan wearily. She had been against it to go public already but when she had learned about Eyes Only's true identity she gave in but still she didn't feel comfortable with it. Going against corrupt police officers was one thing but Manticore was way of S1W's usual league. It was dangerous, really dangerous and they all knew it but it was too late to take it back. Logan had been adamant about it and now it was done. Asha looked at her friend and wondered how far he would go for that Max. He was a nice guy but he could be – in his own way – very dangerous. She had helped him during the last weeks to gather as much information as possible about Manticore and she had to admit she really liked working with him, now even more than before when she hadn't known he was the famous cyber journalist and sometimes she wondered why she hadn't recognized earlier. He had always been a very moral person and had never been one to run away from trouble instead he seemed to attract it. And he was good looking, too. She shook her head and stood up. This was not the time to have such thoughts and besides he still had this Max he was looking for. "You've got nothing to say, big guy?"

Bling had been quietly watching the whole scenery but now he shook his head.

"Not really. We did everything we could without going public, it was our last option. Let's hope it will shake them enough to make a mistake."

"Always the pessimist, aren't you?" OC was smiling at him.

"I'd prefer realist, Cindy" he smiled back. He liked the platonic friendship that had evolved between them.

"Anyway, now we can do nothing but wait" Logan summarized their situation.

"No, there's something else we could do", OC said after a moment of awkward silence. "Or better: **You** could do it."

"And what might that be?" Logan looked at her with a mischievous grin already knowing what she was referring to.

"Cook. I'm starving!" OC exclaimed. "You know, being an Eyes Only operative is really exciting and all but this girl hasn't eaten anything in hours so maybe my new secret employer could do something about it?"

"Capitalists" Logan murmured faking shock. "It's always the same with you!"

Everybody laughed and the tension between them seemed to ease a little bit while they made their way to the kitchen.

* * *

Lydecker stormed into the room with the gun his hand ready to shoot down any possible enemy but got aware of a very strange scene taking place: Max was still lying in her bed not screaming anymore but still looking scared. Wolf was kneeling at her side trying to comfort her stroking her hair and holding her still tied up hand. When the X5 got aware of somebody bursting into the room the he jumped up getting into his fighting stance but relaxed when he saw it was his superior and went to Max's side again.

The third person was one of the nurses. The woman had backed away from the bed and was looking at her patient with an almost frightened expression. In her hand she still a syringe filled with a yellow liquid.

"What happened here?" Lydecker demanded to know still being short of breath. Wolf didn't answer but shot an angry look at the nurse. The woman finally cleared her throat.

"I came here to give X5-452 a new shot of painkillers but when I approached her she woke up and started screaming. I don't know why."

'_Perhaps because every time she got to see a needle in the last two months she has been in agony afterwards?'_ Lydecker thought angry and was about to speak when Doctor Cottle entered the room shortly followed by X5-494 and Kyla. The doctor and 494 were dressed in what were their respective versions of sleepwear while Kyla still wore her uniform.

"Would anyone please tell me what is going on in my sickbay?" Cottle snarled. "And would you please holster that weapon, Colonel? I can't see anybody in here who deserves to be killed!"

Lydecker got aware that he still was holding his gun in his hands and holstered it. He may be the head of the facility but in sickbay Major Andreas Cottle's word was law for everybody, be it an X5 or a highly decorated Colonel.

"Sir", Wolf began when the nurse didn't answer, "452 got scared when she saw nurse Callan with a syringe. She probably thought she was back in PsyOps."

"I see" Cottle seemed to calm down a little bit. He glanced around and decided that the small room was much too crowded. "Okay, I want everybody except for 451 out of that room two seconds ago. Get out!"

Kyla and 494 obeyed at once and the nurse followed them quickly after giving the syringe to the head physician. Only Lydecker seemingly wanted to stay.

"Deck" The doctor said to his friend an understanding but still stern voice. "Go. I'll be with you shortly."

Reluctantly the Colonel nodded and left. Cottle slowly approached the two X5. 451 was at his sister's side again trying to comfort her while the female X5 kept looking at him.

"Look, you need the painkillers, girl" he said to Max. "I know you probably don't like needles too much but it is necessary. So, will you try to bite my head off will you let me do my job?"

Despite the rather harsh words his voice was calm and it got him the result he wanted. After some seconds of hesitation Max nodded and seemed to relax a little bit. When he bent down he could feel both X5 following every move he made with their eyes. He knew he had to be careful. He had read the files and knew 451 was 452's genetic brother. If he accidently hurt the girl Wolf would probably want to protect her and attack him. It was in his genes, every X5 tried to protect his unit, his family and the bond between the two in here was considerably stronger than usual even if they didn't know it yet.

When the older doctor inserted the needle into Max's arm – the IV had been removed some hours ago – she made a face and tensed but didn't make a sound.

"Done" he said after a few seconds to his patient with a smile and removed the syringe. The two X5 kept looking at him, the girl with incertitude and the boy warningly. He looked tired, almost exhausted but tried not to show it. From what Cottle knew he had been here for almost four days and nights neither sleeping nor eating once. X5 were tough but he had been here long enough to know even they had limits; the boy needed some rest. "451, go to your barracks. You need a break."

"I will stay, sir." Wolf's voice was full of determination and Cottle could have sworn he moved towards his sister just a little bit closer. He shook his head.

"This is not a suggestion! You will sleep and eat something. I don't want to see you in here again before tomorrow evening. I will send 301 in and she will relieve you, understood?"

"Understood, sir", Wolf answered with defiance. He didn't feel comfortable at all leaving Max's side although he knew Kyla was more than capable of watching her. Cottle nodded and left the room.

Outside the two X5 and the Colonel were waiting for him.

"How is she?" Lydecker asked before he even had a chance to say something.

"Fine. She just got scared when she saw Callan with the syringe. I gave her the painkillers." He turned towards the two X5. "494, thank you for coming, but you're not needed here anymore. Go back to your unit."

The male X5 nodded shortly and disappeared not acting like the smart-aleck he usually was. The sickbay always made him feel uncomfortable and as fast as he had run after 301 when he had heard Max's scream he was gone again.

"I ordered 451 to take a break", Cottle informed Lydecker. "301 can stay here for a while. Goodnight."

"Wait here!" Lydecker said to Kyla and entered the room again. "You can go, 451, do as the doctor told you."

The X5 nodded clearly not happy to leave his sister. When he was gone Lydecker closed the door and turned towards Max. She didn't say anything but kept looking at him intensely. When the silence became too awkward the older man cleared his throat and took a seat on the chair much like Jondy had done it hours before.

"How are you?" The question was out of his mouth before he could think about it. Of course she wasn't well. He shook his head at his own stupidity before trying again. "I know you probably don't believe me but I swear I didn't know what was happening to you. PsyOps wasn't under my command until now. I would never have allowed them to do what they did to you."

Still Max didn't respond and her eyes were still full of distrust but it seemed to him that at least she was thinking about what he said.

"I understand that you only speak to those you trust and I also know that you can't trust me at the moment. I just wanted you to know that I'm very sorry about what happened." He rose from his chair. "I really hope you will be able to trust me again one day, Max. I'm sorry."

* * *

Miles away Elizabeth Renfro was sitting in the comfortable seat of a Learjet that would bring her to Washington but she didn't feel comfortable at all, the voice from her cell phone made sure of that.

"_How the hell could this happen?"_ It was a man, a very dangerous man considering the tone he spoke to one of the most dangerous woman throughout the whole intelligence corps. _"You know very well that the control of PsyOps is imperative if our plan should work."_

"I had no choice" she tried to defend herself. "Lydecker had my men interrogated before I could get there and called in a meeting I could not prevent."

"_You know, Elizabeth, somehow I can't get rid of the thought that you will have much bigger problems than that old drunk and the committee when the council hears about this."_

"I will get back in control" she assured, her voice slightly trembling. "But I will need more time."

"_I will see what I can do, but don't expect too much."_

The line went dead and Renfro found herself staring at the phone.

'_Lydecker'_ she thought and felt a sudden wave of hatred. _'I will make you pay for this! You and all of your so called kids!'_

* * *

Kyla checked Max's pulse and nodded, satisfied. The rogue X5 had calmed down from her latest panic attack. The shorthaired X5 could understand that reaction better than Cottle or even the Colonel. PsyOps had always used injections to drug the X5 undergoing reindoctrination and so waking up seeing somebody with a syringe of course had startled Max.

"I'll be right outside the door" she told Max trying to avoid her eyes. "Call me, if you need anything."

"Kyla", Max tried to hold her back but the X5 just kept walking towards the door. "301."

The X5 stopped and finally turned around, eyeing her suspiciously. "What?"

"Why is he like that?" Her voice sounded reluctant yet determined. It surprised Kyla Max even talked to her. Like the Colonel she had realized that Max only spoke to those she felt could be trusted and why would she trust her? She had brought the her back here where she had been going through hell during the last two months. It was confusing. Nevertheless she kept a straight face.

"Who?"

"Wolf, he almost never looks at me."

"Come on, I'm sure he does."

"No, he doesn't. He's looking everywhere but he never looks me in the eye and if he does once in a while he seems to be…" Max hesitated for a short moment before she finished the sentence almost whispering, "disgusted."

Kyla drew in a sharp breath. "He's not disgusted, don't you ever again think that! It's just…" Her voice trailed off and she looked at the floor feeling more ashamed than ever before. Was there anything they hadn't done to that girl they had been supposed to bring home and protect? Max's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Then what is it?"

Kyla sighed and took a seat beside Max's bed. This was becoming sort of a ritual. It took the shorthaired X5 a few seconds to gather her thoughts before she spoke.

"He isn't disgusted" she tried to explain, "but every time he looks at you he remembers that he has failed. He isn't disgusted, he feels guilty and ashamed.

"Why do you think that?" Max had an inquiring look on her face. So she had been right about what she had seen in his eyes earlier, but she didn't understand it.

"Because I know him very well and because…" Kyla paused again looking at her jackboots and asking herself why she trusted this X5 so much. After all, she was a 09er and had been out there until only weeks ago but somehow she felt that Max would not betray her. "And because I feel the same."

Max looked at her with disbelief but the female transgenic beside her bed kept her eyes on the floor.

"Why?" Max was more confused than ever.

"It was our mission to bring you back" Kyla refused to look up. "Alive and well. And it was our mission to protect you but we failed. We left you in PsyOps without even trying to find out how you were."

"But there was no way." Max really didn't know what to think anymore. Until now Kyla had always treated her with respect but had kept her distance. The woman she was looking at now was not the X5 she remembered attacking her in Seattle or bringing her back to Manticore. She could almost sense the guilt inside the other woman. "You couldn't do anything about it."

"We could've tried!" For the first time Kyla was looking up. "But we didn't. It wasn't until the Colonel ordered 451 to check on you when we found out; otherwise you'd still be there."

"You really are serious about this, aren't you?" Kyla just kept looking at her intensely and finally nodded. "Why would you take a risk checking on the well-being of 09er, a deserter?"

"Because you're an X5." Kyla tried to smile but failed. She was one of the most coldhearted soldiers at Manticore but she had always cared deeply about all of her siblings. "09er or not, you are family, 452."

Max almost gasped when she heard that. After some seconds she smiled at her minder.

"My name is Max, you know" Max said softly. Kyla looked at her with sudden seriousness and she decided it would be better if she didn't insist on this too much at the moment. Instead she tried to reassure the other woman. "It's nice to know the two of you care about me, but I haven't forgotten how things work here. There was no way you could've found out. Don't blame yourself, I do not either."

It was strange, Kyla thought. Hours ago the transgenic in that bed had been seriously injured, weakened, her body and soul tortured for weeks and now she was already trying to comfort her. She wondered if 452 had always been like that or had learned to be while outside. She couldn't completely believe what the other X5 said but still nodded.

"Thank you", she murmured hesitantly but not yet completely convinced. Sure, her logical mind told her that Max was right; they wouldn't have made it into PsyOps, too many guards and restrictions, but her feral side kept telling her that she had failed to protect her family. Nevertheless she felt a great relief because the brown-haired X5 didn't blame her. It was a start.

Finally Kyla stood up. "I better let you sleep now. I'll be outside."

"Wait!" Max held her back again and Kyla looked down at her but this time her gaze was soft. "Could you…could you stay in here?"

"Why?" That was an odd request.

"Well, it's just…I think I'd feel better when…when I know you're around."

Kyla raised an eyebrow. "Why do you trust me so much?"

"I don't know." Max shrugged. "Somehow I just know you won't betray me."

Astonished Kyla thought about it for some seconds. It wasn't rational at all but well, if she could make Max feel better…she sighed and nodded before sitting down again.

They remained like that for several minutes until Max spoke again.

"Kyla?" 301 thought about not answering to her unofficial name but finally answered.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

Kyla looked at Max in surprise but the other X5 had her eyes closed and just smiled. Manticore's female top soldier couldn't help but smile herself. For the first time since she had learned about what PsyOps had done to Max X5-301 felt relief. It really seemed like her long lost sibling would be alright again.

After several minutes of silence Max's calm and regular breathing told Kyla that the other transgenic had drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

**Ok, this was one of the last calm chapters. I plan to release Max out of sickbay soon and she will join her new unit.**

**And who was that man Renfro spoke to and what will Lydecker do about Eyes Only going public?**

**Well, give me reviews and I give you an update *grins very wickedly* yes, I know I'm mean!**


	13. Chapter 13

Here I am again.

**throwerpro:** Welcome back and thanks. About what you wrote about me not changing the characters: good or bad thing? Anyway, glad to see you're still reading.

**Taeniaea:** Sorry, not the first this time *gg* no, just kidding. Thanks to you, too.

Okay, I'm gonna make some sort of time jump now, it's not too much, just read and find out.

* * *

_Four months later_

Max was on her way to Lydecker's office. She wore jackboots and a black combat suit, one of the many uniforms she had been given the day before and she had to admit that it felt good to have some real clothing after all the time she'd had nothing but that stupid grey nightgown. At her side she could feel X5-451 – Wolf – looking at her with concern.

"You okay?" he asked.

She turned her head and smiled briefly at him. "Yeah, I guess so."

It was the truth, she felt better than she had in ages. After her wounds had healed she had been released from sickbay and was allowed to go back to her cell. She had expected to be put back into PsyOps but instead the day after a bald man with glasses had arrived. She had learned that his name was Benjamin Forster and that he was a psychiatrist. At first she had been reluctant to even talk to him but he didn't seem to mind and after some time she had opened up to the smaller man with the gentle smile. Somehow he'd made her feel better, let her know that she could trust him with her fears which she eventually did. He had visited her daily but hadn't started to talk about PsyOps until after two weeks. Naturally she'd tried to hide from her fears and wanted to forget about the two months of constant torture but Forster managed to get her to talk. She'd had several breakdowns but eventually Forster convinced her that none of it had been her fault, that she shouldn't blame herself one bit and that she didn't have to be afraid anymore.

At first she had only laughed at it sarcastically, almost being the old Max again until she finally began to understand what the calm psychiatrist was trying to tell her. It had been a long process but eventually the nightmares had stopped and she didn't flinch anymore at any movement or sudden sound. She'd begun to trust again, starting with Doctor Forster and the two X5 that were always with him.

Most of the time it had been Wolf. Officially he'd been there for Forster's safety but she knew better; he wanted to make sure nothing happened to her anymore and she could still see that he blamed himself for not having saved her from PsyOps earlier. She felt grateful but after some time his behavior started to annoy her until one day she held him back after Doc Forster had left. She smiled melancholically remembering the conversation that had taken place then.

* * *

"_Stop doing this!" she demanded._

"_What?" He looked at her clearly not understanding what she was talking about._

"_Treating me like I was made of glass."_

"_I'm not!"_

"_Of course you are!" she growled angrily but calmed down. "It's not your fault."_

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_Look, Kyla told me already, okay? Don't blame yourself for what has happened. It was not your fault."_

_He straightened up finally understanding. He shook his head. "Yes it is, at least part of it."_

"_Oh come on! What could you've done?" Max exclaimed. Why did men always have to be so difficult? "Storming into PsyOps and kidnapping me before their eyes?"_

"_It's pretty much what we've been doing at the end."_

"_After Lydecker told you to do so! If it hadn't been on his order you would not even have made it into that room in the first place. I survived so could you please stop looking at me like I'm going to die at a moment's notice?"_

"_You were my responsibility" he kept insisting._

"_No, I was PsyOps' responsibility at that time." Max glared at him frustrated. Was he masochistic or did every male X5 just like self punishment? "I want you to stop blaming yourself! It was the work of some crazy scientist's and there was no way you could've known what they were doing to me, will you finally get that through your thick skull?"_

"_One day perhaps" he answered turning towards the door, "but I will never be able to forget it."_

* * *

Max kept smiling when thinking about that day months ago. Wolf remembered her of Zack in more than one way. He was strong and determined but he also deeply cared about his fellow X5s and thought of everything that went wrong as his personal mistake. It surely made him a great leader but it also made him annoying sometimes.

At least he had started to relax a little bit after that conversation perhaps finally understanding that Max's two months in that hell really hadn't been his failure.

With Kyla things had been much easier. Whenever Wolf wasn't around she had accompanied Forster and slowly the two women had started to develop some sort of friendship. It was not like it had been with OC or Kendra but it was the friendship between two soldiers, between to X5. Of course Jondy had visited her, too. It had been awkward at first seeing her sister being all Manticore again but Max had found out that this was only a façade she kept up in front of the instructors and Lydecker. She was completely loyal to the idea of Manticore and her superiors but that didn't stop her from making comments about them that were more than just unfriendly. Max had come to understand that her older sister really had chosen to stay here out of her free will.

After a month in her isolation cell and the daily visits from Doctor Forster he had informed her that it was time to go back into PsyOps. She had vehemently refused to even leave her cell until Forster had promised her that it was only psychological reindoctrination, nothing invasive, no needles, no drugs, no knives. He told her that he would be there all the time and even Kyla and Wolf would be there, too. The scientists were not Renfro's anymore but those Lydecker himself had chosen. Still she didn't dare to move until Lydecker himself had come to her cell and promised her that it would be up to Doctor Forster how long the sessions would last. Max still was distrustful towards the older Colonel but she had started to trust Forster and she definitely trusted Wolf and Kyla so she finally agreed although the fact that nobody had tried to force her back into PsyOps when she had refused to go by herself was already reassuring.

They had kept their word. It had been the laser. Hours, days, weeks and months of that cursed red light tearing into her mind. It had been hard to say the least but it was bearable compared to the things she had suffered before. When the first session had been over and her mind returned to the real world she got aware of Doctor Forster standing right before her trying to smile reassuringly. To her left and her right were Kyla and Wolf both looking at her with concern and holding her restrained hands.

This became sort of a ritual. Every time she had to undergo a reindoctrination session – which was almost daily – Forster and at least one of the two X5 she trusted were there, too. Officially Wolf and Kyla accompanied her for the safety of the PsyOps staff but everybody knew it was because Lydecker wanted the process supervised by one of his soldiers.

After about two months when she awoke on the examination table once again she saw that not only Forster and Kyla were with her but there was also another person in the room. Lydecker saw her glaring at him and left the room quickly. The next day Max had asked a guard if she could talk to the Colonel and surprisingly a few hours later he had come to her cell.

* * *

_They sat in awkward silence until the older man finally spoke._

"_You said you wanted to talk to me?"_

_Max just nodded, looking at him precariously._

"_Does that mean you trust me?" he asked very well remembering what he had said to her in sickbay weeks ago._

"_I don't know" she honestly replied and saw how the older man's face lit up when she spoke her first words to him since she had been in PsyOps for the first time. "Somehow I feel like I can but then again I cannot forget what you did to us, to Jack, to Eva, to all of us. I understand that you were trying to train us to be soldiers but still I remember my childhood not being very pleasant."_

"_I understand" he nodded sadly. "We made mistakes back then; the biggest one was that we didn't talk to you. We taught you to be soldiers but we never explained to you why we had to do what we did."_

_They sat in silence again until Max reluctantly continued:_

"_Can I…ask you a question?"_

"_Of course."_

"_I remember when I was little I had seizures once and had to go to the infirmary. I'm not sure, I think I was feverish at the time, but I remember you being there, too, talking about how you would like to take me away from Manticore."_

"_You remember that?"_

"_Sort of, but I don't understand it."_

_Lydecker laughed sadly but finally nodded. "I remember that night. I shouldn't have been there, you know, showing affection. But you were always special to me, Max."_

"_Why?"_

"_I don't know." Of course he knew but it wasn't only the fact the she was his prodigal daughter, he had to come to realize that there was more but he didn't fully understand it himself and didn't want to scare Max. "I always cared about you, Max, not only about you but also about the others."_

"_You have a strange way of showing it."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Jack. Eva."_

"_There was nothing we could do for Jack and Eva…" he sighed remembering that night that still haunted him in his dreams. "I only saw her holding a weapon and aiming at the guards. I just…I did what I've been trained to do."_

"_Trained?"_

"_I'm a soldier too, Max, I have been for longer than you have. I saw a threat and acted like I was trained to but I would give everything I have if I could go back to that night and prevent Eva from getting her hands on that gun."_

"_You really are serious about this" Max said after a few seconds sounding surprised._

"_Of course I am. I know you probably don't trust me entirely but tell me, when did I ever lie to you?"_

_Max thought about it for a second before she nodded. "Never."_

"_And I will not start with it now. I know we probably betrayed you and the others, we took away your childhood, we hurt you and I want you to know that I'm not proud of what I've done but you have to see the big picture: Manticore's operations probably saved hundreds of thousands of lives."_

"_How can you be so sure about that?"_

"_Well, think about it" he looked at her intensely. "We lost Hawaii five months after the pulse, Miami got attacked only a month later and the first attack on Alaska was only about a year later. Our operations showed to our enemies that we still were able to defend ourselves."_

"_What kind of operations?"_

"_The one you will be carrying out again when you're ready. Infiltration, search and destroy, neutralization. For example we have prevented a nuclear attack against this country six times until now, those missions alone saved countless lives."_

_Max sat still for about a minute and Lydecker watched her closely. She looked better, the bruises gone and most of the scars on her skin already fading. He knew that physically she would be ready soon but the scars on her soul were another thing._

"_I would like to have access to the mission reports" she suddenly said surprising him._

"_Why?"_

"_I would like to know if we really could do something good, if we make a difference" she explained and added after a short pause: "I would like to know if __**I**__ can make a difference."_

* * *

A few days later Max had been given full access to the archives and between her reindoctrination sessions started to read through every report she could find since 2009. She had been surprised at first, sometimes she was even shocked or disgusted but altogether the Colonel had told the truth; there had been dozens of missions against foreign intelligence services or even high officers that became a little bit too ambitious and of course Manticore had been one of the major instruments to fight the international terror. She started talking with Wolf and Kyla about their missions whenever she could and tried to find out everything she could about the last ten years.

Sure, there were times when she thought about her old life, about her friends, her work, about their nights at Crash. And she also thought about Logan. Those were the most painful memories but she was good at hiding it and over the weeks and months she began looking at those memories like she had been looking at her first time at Manticore as a child: Like it had been in another life. She remembered it but it didn't pain her anymore, at least not very often.

Six months after Kyla and Wolf had brought her back Doctor Forster suddenly informed her that her time in PsyOps was over and that she would be released and assigned to her new unit. That had been yesterday and at first Max had been overwhelmed with relief. Finally she wouldn't have to worry about that laser and PsyOps anymore but that was when her gaze found Wolf and she suddenly realized she probably would not see him much anymore. She had learned that he technically was the CO of unit two but that he and Kyla were away very often. He saw her worry and smiled reassuringly but while she lay awake in her cell during the night she couldn't help but wonder to which unit she would be assigned and who would be her new CO.

She was still thinking about it when she approached Lydecker's office now.

"Relax" she heard Wolf chuckle and shot him an annoyed glance before she knocked.

"Enter!" they heard the Colonel bark. Once inside they stood at attention in front of their CO.

"X5-451 and X5-452 reporting, sir!" Wolf said.

"At ease" Lydecker ordered with a slight smile and watched the two of them. "How do you feel, 452?"

"Never been better, sir." Max composure and voice was the image of a perfect soldier but Lydecker noticed that her voice was not as cold and emotionless as Brin's. That was a good sign.

"Very good. You will be assigned to unit two and 451 will be your new CO. You need to catch up on your training but I'm sure this won't be a problem."

"Not at all" the female transgenic answered with an almost invisible smile. She had been getting antsy during the last few weeks and was aching for some action.

"I see" Lydecker nodded. "As from now on you are to report to 451 but if there's a problem you can come to me anytime, Max, understood?"

The two looked at him in astonishment. Did their CO really just say that? But they were not about to argue their superior's choice of words and Max simply responded after a short pause of surprise.

"Understood, sir."

"Very well, dismissed."

The two X5 saluted and left the room.

"Well, that was odd", was all Wolf said when they were walking towards the main entrance.

"Huh?"

"Well, the Colonel using your name and all that."

"We have a history" Max shrugged. It had surprised her too but it was nice to be addressed by her name for a change.

"So I've heard" he chuckled but quickly became serious when they left the building. It was a sunny day and Max closed her eyes for a moment feeling the sun on her skin for the first time in half a year. "Okay, time for you to meet the others. Are you up for a run?

"Hell yeah!" she smiled. "Where are we going?"

"Firing range. Come on!" And with that he started running. She was quick to follow him and together they ran through the forest around Manticore's main base. She felt that she really would have some training to do to get back into her usual shape again. When they approached the firing range Wolf could see his unit in their black combat suits standing around Major Coleman; apparently he was just commenting their results. On a table behind them lay twelve sniper rifles. When he approached with Max at his side Coleman looked up and smiled.

"You're coming right on time, 451" he said, "I've just finished. The firing range is yours for the next three hours and I suggest you use it. Welcome back, 452."

He nodded towards Wolf and left.

"What the hell does that mean?" Wolf demanded to know looking at his unit, "'I suggest you use it'? What have you done again?"

"Oh, not much" X5-439 answered. The female transgenic with the cropped short brown hair looked at him innocently and pointed behind her to the rifles. "Let's just say I'm apparently the only one knowing how to use one of these."

"Oh, come on, give me a break" the biggest X5 in the group groaned, "or at least a real weapon. A rocket launcher would not be bad!"

"Those are real weapons!" 439 snapped glaring at him.

"A rocket launcher?" A rather small blond woman looked at him incredulously. "You gotta be…"

"Okay, okay, stop it!" Wolf interrupted them. "Before you restart your bickering, this is X5-452, she will be in our unit from now on."

Max looked from one to the other and smiled almost shyly when everyone looked at her. So, this was her new unit.

"Okay, 451, you already know 301 and 210." Wolf nodded towards Kyla and Jondy before pointing at the woman who had spoken first. She had very short hair just like Wolf and Kyla and eyed her with a calm curiousness, "Now this is 439. As you probably have found out already she's our sniper."

439 smiled and nodded

"The other one here is 526." The X5 who had talked about a rocket launcher grinned broadly. He was big, very big but somehow Max could see that he wasn't as dangerous as his figure could make you believe.

"To the left we have 154 and 367. 154 is our medic while 367 is our expert when it comes to explosives, give him a firecracker and a bottle and he will make a bomb out of it."

The blond woman and the black haired man smiled kindly and Max couldn't help but wonder if there was something going on between them as they stood very close to each other.

"And to your right you have 258 and 194. He's into vehicles, so don't give him anything with wheels or he'll be gone in a second" the blond 258 grinned and nodded almost viciously, "while you have to watch out when sparring with 194 or she will kick your ass!"

The Asian X5 smiled and was actually the first to speak. "Nice to meet you, 452. I've heard a lot about you."

Max could only nod thankfully.

"Oh yeah" Wolf said as if he just had remembered something, "and last and I'm almost inclined to say least 494. He's my third in command and the biggest smartass you'll be able to find on this continent.

"Is it my fault that I'm smarter than you?" 494 retorted grinning. He had short brown hair but not as short as Wolf and kind eyes. He seemed to be a nice guy but Max could already understand what Wolf meant with him being a smartass. So he would be the unit's leader when Wolf and Kyla were away.

"Smarter than me?" Her brother looked at 494 with a skeptical look on his face. "You know, somehow I doubt that because saying something like that to me after I kicked your ass during our last sparring lesson does not appear to be a very smart thing in my eyes."

Some of the other X5 snickered at the astonished face 494 made after this and Max couldn't help but wonder what was going on. Sure, all of them had greeted her in a very friendly way and seemingly did not see her as an outsider or even a traitor. She even had a feeling that she would like working with 194 and 439 but this clearly wasn't the Manticore she remembered from her childhood. There was not instructor around and the X5 were talking and bickering like usual people and not like the killing-machines they were. How did Wolf even manage to maintain discipline in his unit? She was about to learn quickly.

"Ok, enough chit-chat!" He suddenly said sternly and everyone became dead serious again. "We still have three hours to train and we will use them. 439, you're our sniper so you know best how to use this kind of rifle. Show Max how she has to handle them and then start training her, she has a lot of catch up to do."

"Got it!" the shorthaired woman said and motioned for Max to follow her. While the female sniper started explaining the weapon's ballistics to her Max could hear Wolf shouting commands and soon after that everyone was behind their rifles again and started training.

Yes, she thought, Manticore has changed, but it was a change she clearly began to like.

* * *

In Seattle Logan was looking at his computer screen where he could see the face of a blond and rather slender man. He didn't look threatening at all, more like a business man but behind him Logan could make out the figures of two other men and those looked like walking wardrobes.

"Your cable hacks first made the government quite nervous, Mr. Eyes Only" the blond man said looking at what he could see of the famous cyber-journalist –his eyes, "but now they seem to have figured out that you have nothing you could use against them and partly lost interest."

Logan couldn't help but cringe at that comment. It was true; at first his cable hack had troubled some of the officials in and outside Seattle, Lydecker had even sent a TAC team just like he had predicted but he hadn't been able to follow them instead two of his informants had vanished. He was frustrated and had already thought about going public with everything he knew about Manticore, the few names he had and the barcodes when this man had contacted him.

"What do you want from me?"

"I want you to help us getting a DNA sample from one of Manticore's soldiers; in exchange we could offer you our help."

"Your help?" Logan felt more than just uncomfortable with this offer. This man didn't look like he was an angel at all and the two behind him actually looked dangerous.

"Nobody, not even Eyes Only, takes on an organization like Manticore just like that" the blond man answered. "You want something from them."

"And if that were the case you would help me getting it?" This conversation was weird.

"Yes." The answer was simple and the unknown man on Logan's monitor waited a few seconds before he added: "I understand that you need some time to think about this and make arrangements. You know how to contact me. But don't wait too long."

The man rose from his chair but Logan held him back. "Wait, one last question. Who are you?"

The enigmatic man just smiled. "We call ourselves the Red Cell. Have a nice day, Mr. Eyes Only."

* * *

**Yes, the reds are coming. Was about time, wasn't it?**

**Okay, here a short list about the X5s in Max's new unit. It's not much but should be enough for the beginning.**

**And yes, before you ask: Of course Max will name them *gg***

**Okay, drop me a review, please.**

**X5-451 aka Wolf** CO of unit two and Max's genetic brother. His intense grey eyes and very short black hair clearly let him look like the soldier he is.

**X5-301 aka Kyla** 2IC of unit two. Usually paired with Wolf during their missions. The two of them have the most experience throughout the X-series when it comes to combat missions and search and destroy and both of them are very well trained in close quarter combat and hand-to-hand fights.

**X5-494** Member of unit two and third in the chain of command. He has become sort the unit's unofficial leader as Wolf and Kyla often are on outside missions. He can be sort of a smartass sometimes but he usually knows when to stop.

**X5-154** The blond transgenic is the medic of unit two. She's one of the smallest X5 but nevertheless can take care of herself just fine. Other than that she's one of the X5 with the most experience in missions outside Manticore.

**X5-439** Member of unit two. She's the sniper of her unit. Her rather calm and controlled self helps the others from getting out of hand too much. Like Wolf and Kyla she keeps her brown hair very short as she thinks it would hinder her otherwise.

**X5-258** Member of unit two. The young blond man adores every sort of vehicle. He's one of the more unsettled X5.

**X5-194** Member of unit two. The Asian woman is one of the few that could actually beat her CO or her 2IC in a hand-to-hand combat. She is almost obsessed with any sort of blades and usually tries not to use firearms.

**X5-367** Member of unit two. The black haired and tanned transgenic is the unit's expert when it comes to explosives. He is almost as calm as 439 and is known for his subtle sense of humor.

**X5-526** Member of unit two. He's the biggest and strongest X5 in the unit and prefers heavy weapons. Nevertheless he's very gentle and almost never gets angry.

**X5-210 aka Jondy** As children Max and Jondy had been in unit one and escaped together in '09. Jondy got caught by Lydecker months before Max and has joined unit two. She is loyal to Manticore but this doesnt mean she likes everybody around the base. Eventually she even refers to Lydecker that he 'can be an asshole sometimes'. Nevertheless she chose to stay out of her free will and hopes Max will be in her unit for she deeply cares about her younger sister.

* * *


	14. Chapter 14

First off all: Thanks to all of you, your reviews keep me inspired!

**Taeniaea:** The fastest again, thank you!

**Alan Grey:** The thought of Lydecker acting in self defense came to me when I was in basic training myself. I mean, really, you see a super soldier like Eva pointing a gun at you, what do you do? It was a mistake but I always thought Lydecker feels guilty about it.

I don't know yet if this story will be M/A, M/L or something completely else, perhaps I will have to change the story header. We will see, I really can't tell you right now, sorry.

Logan has never before gone against Manticore like he will have to this time. Sure, he angered Lydecker more than once and helped Max and her siblings evading him but this time he will actually have to attack Manticore which he never did before. Yeah, I know, it took him some time but I needed it for Max to undergo PsyOps and restart her training. Sounds odd, I know. Thanks for mentioning the mistake in the line with the DNA sample, but...argh! Punctuation in English! Gods, I think I will never fully understand how you people are doing this *gg* no, just kidding, I will try to correct the mistakes.

Challenging me about my cliffhangers? Not a good idea, it could get people hurt *evil grin* hm, which of my characters has not been injured already?...no, kidding again, perhaps I'm getting old. Anyway, thanks again!

**Divine Fighter:** Don't worry, the reds soon will have their encounter with unit two. About your suggestion of Logan helping Manticore: I have thought about it but I haven't decided yet, we will see. Thanks to you too.

**452max:** Welcome on board! Well, you don't have to wait anymore, here's the update :) Like I said before I don't know yet where I will go with this story exactly. You'll have to be a little bit patient.

**roseyangel:** I always thought from a strict military point of view Manticore has always been doing the right thing: training soldiers from the very beginning of their lives. Of course this is absolute crap when you look at it from any other point of view but...well, it works. Thanks for still being out there!

**tylee17:** First of all thank you for your e-mail, I'm still waiting *gg* Then: The Red Cell are soldiers from South Africa. They are criminals sentenced to death but are given a chance to serve in the military. They are given a neural implant which enhances them but unfortunately kills them after some time. The officials behind the program hope that they can correct this fault if they can get their hands on a Manticore soldier. And yes, you definitely should buy yourself the dvd set ;) Thanks for the remember/remind thing, will correct it. Hope you still out there!

* * *

Max groaned frustrated when 194 sent her down onto the mat again. The two of them were in Manticore's gym training hand-to-hand combat. It was something Max had always liked, it didn't include guns and it was, in her eyes, the purest form of combat. When she had started her training five weeks ago she had realized that she was no match for the others, she just lacked training, so 194 had offered her to train her during their free time. But sometimes Max wasn't sure if her team member didn't enjoy this a little bit too much.

"Are you sure you're actually teaching me something or is this just for your personal pleasure?" she said suspiciously looking at the Asian woman. 194 just grinned and helped her up.

"It's not my fault you're so slow, 452."

"Hey, I'm not slow you're just…" for a moment Max seemed to search for the right words until she shrugged, "…faster."

"That I am. Come on." The two of them got into their respective fighting stances again and 194 immediately attacked. She really was fast, incredibly fast and it took Max all she had to even avoid her kicks and blows. But like every time before her luck eventually run out and 194 broke through her defenses; the kick knocked the wind out of her lungs and she fell onto the mat again.

"Are you okay?" the other woman sounded a little bit worried. She knew that she was one of the best when it came to hand-to-hand combat and she also knew that she was very well capable of injuring even an X5 even if it was by accident. After a few moments Max nodded and looked up. 194 helped getting back on her feet. "Okay, I think this is enough for today."

"You're just too fast for me." They sat down on the bench near the door and Max grabbed a bottle of water drinking thirstily. She was glad for 194 helping her but these lessons always exhausted her.

"You're getting better" the Asian assured her. "I'm not that much faster but you're thinking too much. I win because I do not think, I let my instincts take over that's what you have to learn."

"Talking about your killer instinct again, 194?" The two women looked up and saw 439 standing in the door grinning broadly. "What did she do to you this time, 452?"

"Nothing I can't handle" Max grinned back. She really liked the two female X5s. 439 had opened up to her the very first day when she trained her on the sniper rifle. The sniper's always calm but gentle behavior had made her feel assured. And the Asian 194 had already become sort of a friend to her.

As a matter of fact her whole new unit seemed to have accepted her as one of their own. Of course at first some of them had been a little bit reluctant but their natural curiousness let them forget their wariness rather quickly; another trait of their feline DNA. Now Max felt really comfortable with all of her teammates, even with 494 although Wolf really had been right: Ben's twin was a smartass sometimes.

"What are you doing here?"

The shorthaired 439 shrugged sitting down beside next to Max. "Just checking on the two of you. The others still are in the mess."

"Well, if you want to train, I'm here" 194 offered with a nasty smirk standing up. "You could need it, too."

"I'm killing my targets from over a mile away, 194" the unit's sniper answered, "Why should I let you kick my ass for nothing?"

The Asian X5 shook her head and opened one of the weapon lockers taking out two daggers. Max was quite sure she heard her mumble something that sounded like "Gun-goopy sniper."

439's grin just grew even wider because she'd obviously heard it, too; X5 hearing was something to be feared. 194 ignored her and went to the middle of the room before closing her eyes and suddenly getting into her fighting stance the daggers in her hands. Max watched her closely. She had known for some time the Asian X5 was into blades but she had never seen her train with them before. Without warning 194 started her attack like against an 'invisible' enemy, the movements clearly trained for years and so fast the two daggers almost became a blur even to the two X5 watching her. All the time while she moved and repeated her movements, blocks and attacks again and again 194 had her eyes closed.

"She's good, I have to give her that, but I still prefer my rifle" 439 whispered with a low chuckle.

Max nodded not taking her eyes away from the Asian X5 clearly impressed by her performance.

"You know", the shorthaired X5 at her side continued, "I've heard that you called yourself Max. Isn't that a little bit strange?"

"Huh? Why?" This time Max did look at her.

"Well, wouldn't that be a name for a guy?"

Max laughed and the other X5 looked at her even more confused; even 194 stopped her training for a moment. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, sorry" Max calmed down but was still grinning. "When I was a child I fucked up a training mission once and the instructor kept yelling at me that I was a maximum failure for minutes. After that my unit decided to name me Max."

Talking about her old unit brought the faces of the only friends she'd had during her childhood to her mind. Krit, Syl, Zack and all the others. It was strange. Somehow she still thought about them as her siblings but she knew when she would encounter one of them she would bring him or her back here, back home where they belonged.

"I'm sorry" 439 said upon seeing the sudden change in Max's behavior, "I didn't want to upset you."

"It's okay, don't worry" Max assured her with a small smile.

"Is it true that everyone in unit one had a name?" 194 asked. She had finished her training and approached her two teammates, sitting down in front of them. Although her performance had seemed to be very exhausting she looked like she had just entered the room. At her question Max nodded and the Asian X5 suddenly had a very thoughtful expression on her face until she shook her head. "I just don't see the point. What would we need names for?"

"Well, we may be soldiers, but even soldiers are individual beings. And you would not be the first ones in your unit."

The words were out of her mouth before she could think about it. Names were forbidden, this was Manticore, dammit! What if they reported her now? What if they reported Kyla and Wolf when they found out? But none of the other two women seemed to be startled, 439 just looked at her curiously while 194 kept her thoughtful face.

"I couldn't think of a name for myself", she finally said and shrugged.

"Oh, with you it would be easy" Max said. "Blade."

"Blade?" 194 thought about it for some seconds and her lips curved into a tiny smile. "I like it."

"What about me?" 439 suddenly said and Max turned towards her thinking for some time until she grinned.

"Artemis would be a possibility" Max suggested. "The Greek goddess of the hunt."

"Goddess of the hunt?" 439 asked thinking about Max suggestion.

"Well, you always praise yourself to be the best shoot around here" the brown haired Max couldn't help but grin. Finally 439 grinned, too, and nodded.

"Yeah, I think I like it."

"Did you have to do that?" Blade groaned and faked frustration. "A goddess. Now her ego will grow even bigger!"

The three of them laughed and for a moment Max almost felt like back in the days with her old unit until she suddenly became serious again.

"The instructors, Lydecker…they must not know!"

"They won't" Artemis reassured her. "Coleman is a great instructor but we've always had our little secrets, right?"

"Hell, yeah!" Blade agreed and then yawned before standing up. "Okay, I need my bed. Not everybody has shark DNA."

"You don't?"

"Nope. I got snake."

"Why do you think she's so damned fast?" Artemis asked elbowing Max slightly in the rips.

"That has nothing to do with it and you know it. I'm just better trained."

"But you still are a terrible shot", the female sniper was quick to answer.

The Asian X5 growled slightly annoyed. "Whatever. Goodnight!"

After she'd left the two X5 sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes until Artemis spoke up.

"What did you mean; we wouldn't be the first ones?"

"Well" Max began reluctantly. Wolf and Kyla obviously hadn't told their teammates about their names. Should she spoil their secret? But she really trusted 439 – no, Artemis now. "451 and 301, they use to call each other Wolf and Kyla?"

"What? Those two?" Artemis looked at her astonished, almost not believing her. "Our two most-of-the-time-outside-and-being-Manticore's-top-dog-soldiers CO and 2IC? You're kidding me!"

"No, I'm not."

"How did they get their names?"

"Well, I don't know how Kyla came to hers and Wolf…I'm sorry, I know about it but it's really not my place to tell you."

"Hm, got some history with our CO there, Max?" Artemis asked with a mean smirk on her lips.

"You have a dirty mind!" Max exclaimed and hit her on the shoulder but the other X5 just kept grinning.

"Yes, I do. Okay, I won't ask you again but you can be sure I will find out."

"Well, you can try." Max said not sounding convinced. She couldn't think about Wolf really telling his sniper about the night she gave him his name.

"Okay, now what?" The female sniper seemed to be in a rather excited mood considering her usual calm self.

"What? Don't you have to sleep?"

"Nope, got some shark, too. We need to find names for the others. Any suggestions?"

* * *

Logan couldn't help but feel more than just a little bit uncomfortable. Even with the gun in his holster and Bling at his side he knew he wouldn't stand a chance. He'd gathered as much information about the Red Cell he could; his friend Sebastian had been most helpful. South African military, a neural implant, faster and stronger than probably even the X-series. It sounded like a making a deal with the devil but at the moment it seemed to be the only possibility to get Max back.

They were near the docks waiting for the other party to make contact. During the last weeks he'd had several contacts with the Red Cell and they finally had agreed to meet. Of course they did not know Logan was actually Eyes Only himself.

Suddenly four men emerged from the shadows and slowly approached. Three of them seemed to be the Red Cell soldiers, big and with a grim expression on their faces. The third, the one Logan had always spoken to, smiled almost gently. Logan felt Bling tensing up and he could understand: The constant danger radiating from the four men could not be missed.

"Good evening. I assume that you were sent here by our mutual friend – Eyes Only." If he was surprised to find a man in a wheelchair was his contact he didn't show it. "My name is Johannessen and these are my men. What do you have to tell me?"

"First of all we would like to know why you need an X5 for your studies. Wouldn't a sample of their DNA be enough?"

"No, I'm afraid it wouldn't."

"Why?"

"This is none of your employers concern."

"Then I assume asking what you need an X5 for isn't either?"

Johannessen shook his head the false smile still on his face.

"Thought so. Now, if Eyes Only makes it possible for you to get your hands on an X5, what would he get in exchange?"

"What does he want?"

Logan thought about it for a moment. It was risky, very risky but if things got out of hand he still had something up his sleeve.

"Some months ago Manticore kidnapped one of Eyes Only's employees. We want her back."

"Ah" Johannessen's nodded. "I wouldn't have thought that Eyes Only had a '09 escapee in his staff."

Logan tried not to show his surprise, after all the Red Cell was not so much different from Manticore, it was only logical they'd heard about each other's mistakes and failures.

"As I said: We want her back. Alive!"

"Of course. Well, I have to contact my superiors first about this, when I have I will call Eyes Only again. Good evening, gentlemen."

With that he left and the three soldiers were quick to follow him, disappearing into the shadows again.

"I don't like it, Logan" Bling said when they were driving back to the Foggle Towers.

"Neither do I. But I can't see another way. And I want her back, Bling, god knows what has happened to her already. It's been almost half a year, goddammit!"

Bling looked at his friend in sympathy. He had not seen a man searching for somebody with as much determination as Logan Cale but he was afraid that Eyes Only probably started to lose his focus. Nevertheless he said nothing until they arrived at Logan's apartment.

"How did it go?" they were greeted as soon as they had entered. Zack was sitting in the living room waiting for them.

"Well, you saw it, didn't you?" The former CO of Max's first unit had observed the meeting through the scope on his rifle from a safe distance; they had agreed that it wouldn't be a good idea if the Red Cell knew an X5 was already in Seattle and working with Eyes Only.

"Yes, I saw it but I couldn't hear it" Zack answered with a hint of annoyance in his voice. He had contacted Logan shortly after the Red Cell had called Eyes Only the first time and had helped him planning to get his sister out of Manticore again. Although sometimes he could be very annoying Logan was glad to have the transgenic at his side. "What did they say?"

"They want an X5 and are going to help us getting back Max in exchange. They will call again."

"Well, then let's give them one."

"Zack, we do not know what they will do to him or her." Despite being frustrated and worried about Max Logan knew all too well that whoever the X5 would be he would probably not survive what the Red Cell had planned.

"Oh, come on!" the male transgenic exclaimed and stood up. "They will get one anyway but it's gonna be one of us. They've been after me and the others for years. You prefer them getting one of us or one of the brainwashed and mindless drones in Manticore?"

"Of course I don't want any of you in their hands but it still feels wrong."

"Believe me, Max being back in Manticore feels a lot worse!"

Logan looked at the younger man and couldn't help but feeling more frustrated than ever. Guess this was the price when you were in league with the devil.

* * *

Unit two was out in the woods eating their c-rations. They had trained escape and evade during the whole day and even the tough transgenics felt exhausted. Major Coleman had left about half an hour ago and they still had a little bit more than an hour until they had to report back to the base.

"You're looking good, 452" the blond 154 said grinning at Max, "considering 194 is using you as her personal punching bag lately."

"It's not that bad. And I have to catch up on you, gotta kick your ass one day, 451."

"Keep dreaming", Wolf only said with a tiny smile.

"What have the two of you been doing the whole night anyway?" Blade asked looking from Max to Artemis. "When I woke up this morning you were not in your cells."

Max looked to Artemis suddenly not sure what to say; after all, she was still the rookie in the unit. Artemis just shrugged.

"Trying to find names for the rest of you" she said as if it was the most natural thing to do during a night at Manticore.

Everybody's eyes were on Max and Artemis in an instant. Most of the faces showed surprise and slight confusion but Jondy looked at Max with disbelief. And what startled her most were the looks Wolf and Kyla gave her.

"You did what?" It was 154 who broke the silence first.

"We gave you names, silly" Artemis repeated looking from one to another. "Yours is Nova, by the way."

"Nova?"

"Yeah, because when standing in the sunlight your hair sometimes literally seems to glow."

"Nice. What's yours?"

"Artemis. 452 is Max and 194 is Blade."

"Suits you" 367 nodded towards Blade then looked at Max. "Why Max? Isn't that a name for a guy?"

"Long story" Max said and felt relieved how most of the unit had reacted. Only Wolf, Kyla and Jondy kept looking at her in a way she didn't like.

"What's mine?" 526 wanted to know.

"You're Bear, because you're as big and as strong as one", Max answered feeling more confident. "367 is Havoc as he's so much into explosions and we chose Nitro for 258 with his liking for vehicles. And 210 of course is Jondy."

Her sister looked at her hearing the name she had gotten when she had been a child and there was a tiny smile on her face despite the look of incertitude.

"Thanks…Max" the calm Havoc said, smiling at her.

"What about me?" It was 494 who asked. This whole name thing was something new to him but he was curious to know what the two women had named him.

"You're Alec"

"Alec" Ben's twin seemed to think about it for a few seconds. "Why?"

"Like in smart-aleck" Artemis answered for Max and almost everybody grinned. After a few seconds he just shrugged.

"I can live with that."

"What about 451 and 301?" Bear suddenly asked. Everybody looked at their CO and 2IC who hadn't moved but looked very uncomfortable.

"They already have names" Max said after a few seconds. "Wolf and Kyla."

"What?" an excited Nova demanded to know. "How?"

Max looked at her brother not sure of what to say and he suddenly sighed.

"452…Max gave me my name in '09 the night unit one escaped." Everybody around him looked at him in surprise. He had never told them but it seemed like he would have to today. He was a little bit afraid of their reaction. "I found her, we fought and I overwhelmed her. When I looked into her eyes it was…I can't explain it, I was just shocked. She looked afraid to death and somehow I…I let her go. I didn't fully understand it back then and I'm not sure if I do today. Before she disappeared she told me that my name was Wolf. Calm and still strong."

He smiled melancholically. His unit looked at him, some still trying to fully understand what they'd just heard but none of them looked reproachful. They knew that they all had been sort of simple-minded when they had been children; Manticore had made sure of that. It wasn't until after the '09 escape their instructors started telling them about life in general and actually giving them answers to their questions. Of course a soldier as young and inexperienced as Wolf had been in '09 could have been shocked by such a thing unknown to him.

"That's why you were in PsyOps longer than we were" Blade said after a few moments of silence finally understanding. He nodded sighing again, remembering his time in PsyOps back then.

"Yeah, I told the Colonel what had happened and so he had no choice." His teammates nodded.

"And you, 301?" It was Nitro who addressed the team's 2IC. "How did you get your name?"

Kyla just looked at the blond X5 and shook her head.

"Come on", Alec pressed. "How did you get it?"

Kyla looked at Wolf asking for help and he understood. "Drop it, it's her choice whether she's gonna tell you or not."

"But…" Alec tried again but Wolf interrupted him his voice almost threatening.

"I said drop it, 494!" Everybody tensed up a little upon hearing their CO talk like that. They were not only soldiers anymore, they were more like friends but they all knew 451 could be dangerous even to them if somebody started to question his orders.

After few seconds Wolf seemed to calm down a little bit and everybody relaxed. He looked from one to another.

"Now, I want all of you to be clear about this" he said very seriously. "We must keep this quiet. If Coleman, Lydecker of one the guards ever hear us using our names we all will be back in PsyOps, everybody got that? Somehow the Colonel has already found out about Kyla and me, don't ask me how. He hasn't done anything until now but you can be sure he will when he hears everybody in this unit has a name now, understood?"

They all voiced their affirmatives and he nodded and stood up.

"Okay, we move out in twenty minutes, finish your meals and remember, once back at the base you will address each other with your designations only" he reminded them once again. He could only hope that they would not make a mistake. He knew that he probably should have stopped all of this when Artemis had begun it but it was too late. And after all he and Kyla had carried their names for years now. He looked at his 2IC. She tried not to show it but he knew how she felt at the moment. "Kyla, you're up for a walk?"

She looked at him and nodded, standing up too. Together they disappeared into the forest quietly talking to each other.

"What the hell…" Alec began watching them leave but Jondy shut him up quite effectively: She hit him on the head. "What was that for?"

"Mind you own business, smart-aleck!" Max's sister simply said and the whole unit snickered and relaxed again, thinking about what would change now they had names.

* * *

**Okay, another chapter done.**

**Below I will post the list of unit two with their new names. If you want it I will do so in every chapter from now on, just tell me.**

**Of course if you want to do so you have to give me a review *gg***

**X5-451 aka Wolf** CO of unit two and Max's genetic brother. His intense grey eyes and very short black hair clearly let him look like the soldier he is.

**X5-301 aka Kyla** 2IC of unit two. Usually paired with Wolf during their missions. The two of them have the most experience throughout the X-series when it comes to combat missions and search and destroy and both of them are very well trained in close quarter combat and hand-to-hand fights.

**X5-494 aka Alec** Member of unit two and third in the chain of command. He has become sort the unit's unofficial leader as Wolf and Kyla often are on outside missions. He can be sort of a smart ass sometimes but he usually knows when to stop.

**X5-154 aka Nova** The blond transgenic is the medic of unit two. She's one of the smallest X5 but nevertheless can take care of herself just fine. Other than that she's one of the X5 with the most experience in missions outside Manticore.

**X5-439 aka Artemis** Member of unit two. She's the sniper of her unit. Her rather calm and controlled self helps the others from getting out of hand too much. Like Wolf and Kyla she keeps her brown hair very short as she thinks it would hinder her otherwise.

**X5-258 aka Nitro** Member of unit two. The young blond man adores every sort of vehicle. He's one of the more unsettled X5.

**X5-194 aka Blade** Member of unit two. The Asian woman is one of the few that could actually beat her CO or her 2IC in a hand-to-hand combat. She is almost obsessed with any sort of blades and usually tries not to use firearms.

**X5-367 aka Havoc** Member of unit two. The black haired and tanned transgenic is the unit's expert when it comes to explosives. He is almost as calm as 439 and is known for his subtle sense of humor.

**X5-526 aka Bear** Member of unit two. He's the biggest and strongest X5 in the unit and prefers heavy weapons. Nevertheless he's very gentle and almost never gets angry.

**X5-210 aka Jondy** As children Max and Jondy had been in unit one and escaped together in '09. Jondy got caught by Lydecker months before Max and has joined unit two. She is loyal to Manticore and her unit but this doesn't mean she likes everybody around the base. Eventually she even refers to Lydecker that he 'can be an asshole sometimes'. Nevertheless she chose to stay out of her free will and hopes Max will be in her unit for she deeply cares about her younger sister.


	15. Chapter 15

**Divine Fighter:** Yeah, I've already waited for someone commenting on Blade. Well, I just thought the name would fit, she being obsessed with knives and all. Hope Mr. W. Snipes doesn't feel offended. Zack will have to face some surprises that you can be sure of!

**tylee17:** Well, first of all thanks, of course, then: You'll learn in this chapter why Kyla didn't talk about her name but Max is in for some bad experiences. I still hope you read it but if not, well, there is a reason for this story being rated T. Thank you very much, tylee, your one of the best!!

**roseyangel:** Thanks to you, too. As I said you'll get to know more about Kyla in this chapter. About the names, well, I just thought about it for some minutes and then chose what came first to my mind. And what will happen if Max encounters someone from her 'family'? Well, just be patient *gg*

**Taeniaea:** Thanks again, Taeniaea!

**tactless n' loving it:** Welcome on board. Well, as I've written in the last chapter I don't know yet where exactly this story is going. It's like being between a rock and a hard place. Thanks for reviewing!

**Alan Grey:** No, I'm definitely not getting old! The cliffhanger isn't so bad this time, but the rest...well, I've warned all of you. Sequel? Who said anything about a sequel? *looks around innocently* Okay, okay, I've been thinking about it and I will certainly leave a note when I have decided what to do next. I will do what I can about the language but I can't guarantee there will be absolutely no swearing. About your question: male. Gotta update my profile.

We all know Zack feels more for Max than he usually admits so I can very well imagine he would react like that at first, but don't worry, he will not turn into a bad guy. I'm trying something else in this chapter with the char list like you can see below. Thanks a lot!

Okay, enough talking, I got another update for you. But first, let me warn you: This one is not gonna be nice. Perhaps it's because I've always thought of the X-series being soldiers despite the fact they're also human or perhaps it is just because I'm one myself. This is about what I think they would be doing.

But first the char list again, this time in alphabetical order for a change.

* * *

**X5-494 aka Alec** Member of unit two and third in the chain of command. He has become sort the unit's unofficial leader as Wolf and Kyla often are on outside missions. He can be sort of a smart ass sometimes but he usually knows when to stop.

**X5-439 aka Artemis** Member of unit two. She's the sniper of her unit. Her rather calm and controlled self helps the others from getting out of hand too much. Like Wolf and Kyla she keeps her brown hair very short as she thinks it would hinder her otherwise.

**X5-526 aka Bear** Member of unit two. He's the biggest and strongest X5 in the unit and prefers heavy weapons. Nevertheless he's very gentle and almost never gets angry.

**X5-194 aka Blade** Member of unit two. The Asian woman is one of the few that could actually beat her CO or her 2IC in a hand-to-hand combat. She is almost obsessed with any sort of blades and usually tries not to use firearms.

**X5-367 aka Havoc** Member of unit two. The black haired and tanned transgenic is the unit's expert when it comes to explosives. He is almost as calm as 439 and is known for his subtle sense of humor.

**X5-210 aka Jondy** As children Max and Jondy had been in unit one and escaped together in '09. Jondy got caught by Lydecker months before Max and has joined unit two. She is loyal to Manticore and her unit but this doesn't mean she likes everybody around the base. Eventually she even refers to Lydecker that he 'can be an asshole sometimes'. Nevertheless she chose to stay out of her free will and hopes Max will be in her unit for she deeply cares about her younger sister.

**X5-301 aka Kyla** 2IC of unit two. Usually paired with Wolf during their missions. The two of them have the most experience throughout the X-series when it comes to combat missions and search and destroy and both of them are very well trained in close quarter combat and hand-to-hand fights.

**X5-258 aka Nitro** Member of unit two. The young blond man adores every sort of vehicle. He's one of the more unsettled X5.

**X5-154 aka Nova** The blond transgenic is the medic of unit two. She's one of the smallest X5 but nevertheless can take care of herself just fine. Other than that she's one of the X5 with the most experience in missions outside Manticore.

**X5-451 aka Wolf** CO of unit two and Max's genetic brother. His intense grey eyes and very short black hair clearly let him look like the soldier he is. Calm and almost always controlled his self-discipline and his knowledge about almost every kind of combat make him a very dangerous enemy.

* * *

"Target located", Wolf whispered and Max tensed. It had been the first words that had been spoken between them since they had reached their position nine hours ago. Since then they hadn't moved and despite the rather cold and unpleasant weather she was beginning to feel uncomfortably warm in her ghillie suit.

They were lying in a forest in Virginia somewhere near the Shenandoah National Park. They had arrived here three days ago and since then had waited for their target to make the first mistake.

Aaron Wittaker, officially a businessman who had made a fortune with property leasing but in reality one of the biggest arms dealers throughout the whole country. The committee had observed him for a long time and had finally decided that his time had come. A week ago Lydecker had called Max, Wolf and Kyla to his office and gave them the order to terminate. Max had felt excited and anxious at the same time; it would be her first real mission and she would be able to leave Manticore for a few days but at the same time she dreaded the moment when their target would come into view because Lydecker had made it clear: She would be the one to pull the trigger; it would be her baptism of fire.

Wittaker knew that he had many enemies and his personal security was good, too good for even an X5 to sneak up on him so they had decided to use a sniper rifle, neutralizing the target from a good distance. Technically this would have been a task for Artemis but Lydecker had been adamant about Max doing it; he wanted to see if she was ready.

It wasn't an easy mission, Wittaker was careful, almost never left the building and when he did he moved quickly and was always surrounded by his bodyguards; no chance for a clear shot. The building itself was a fortress, the walls reinforced, the security system top and the windows bulletproof even for a weapon of the caliber Max was holding at the moment. It had been a waiting game until now but it finally seemed to be over.

"Opening two-delta, the balcony" Wolf whispered looking through his binoculars. He was her spotter while Kyla was about twenty meters behind them watching their backs. Usually this would be a two-men mission but Lydecker had insisted in sending three X5s; whether it was for their safety or because he didn't trust her completely Max didn't know.

She moved slightly adjusting the rifle in her hands zeroing in on the balcony through her scope. Yes, there he was, smoking a cigarette. These things really could kill you. Even from the distance she could identify Aaron Wittacker, brown hair and bald patch, slightly overweight but still with an aristocratic face.

"Target located and confirmed" she whispered back almost inaudibly but loud enough for her brother to hear her.

"Distance: 950. Wind: negative 4." She adjusted her scope according to the information he gave her, then switched of the safety and prepared to take the shot.

When he felt that she was ready he started to whisper "Fire, fire, fire…" as a sign that she was free to shoot.

Max suddenly felt herself being back at the night Eva died. She heard the gunshot and saw her sister fall. It would be so easy, squeezing the trigger and sending the bullet on its way. That man deserved to die and she knew it, his acts had probably cost hundreds and thousands of innocent lives all around the world. But who was she to decide whether one should live or die?

'_It's not your decision'_ a tiny voice whispered in her mind. _'The decision has been made by your superiors, you're only here to carry out their orders.'_

'_But it feels wrong!'_ another part of her mind objected.

'_Nothing's wrong, you're a soldier, now do you duty. It is your mission!'_

'_But…'_

'_No but! You're a soldier, carry out your mission`_

'_Soldier'_

'_Soldier'_

'_Duty'_

'_Mission'_

'_DUTY DISCIPLINE MISSION'_

Suddenly Max felt calmer than ever before in her life. Nothing around her mattered anymore. Not the sound of the wind in the trees, not the wetness of the humid ground below her slowly getting through her suit. She could see nothing but the man in his grey suit smoking a cigarette and heard nothing else than her brother calmly whispering 'fire' again and again. Like she had it done countless times under Artemis' observant eyes her finger found the trigger and squeezed it. She exhaled and lay completely still, then squeezed it some more. Like in a dream she heard the shot and felt the recoil of the rifle against her shoulder. After about two seconds she felt Wolf smile.

"Headshot, target neutralized." His voice seemed to wake her up. She looked through the sniper scope and where seconds before Aaron Wittacker had been standing she could see blood on the wall and an unmoving body lying on the floor. Bodyguards were running around everywhere and even from the distance she could hear their shouting. She didn't move, only slowly realizing what had happened. Wolf looked at her with sudden concern. He touched her and she flinched, looking at him warily. "Hey, it's okay, you got it done. We have to move out. Come on."

Carefully they left their position quickly moving towards were Kyla was waiting for them. When they reached her the shorthaired X5 looked at them expectantly. "How did it go?"

"Mission accomplished" Wolf informed her briskly standing up. They had to move. "We gotta go. Kyla, you take point, Max, you're right behind her, I take rear. Move out!"

Without a sound but with the speed of transgenics in battle the three X5 made their way through the forest. It didn't take them long to reach their car, an old SUV. They threw the ghillie suits in the trunk and got into the vehicle. Seconds later the three transgenics drove away from the scene of their latest mission.

They drove about an hour until they reached their destination, a Manticore safe house just outside a small town. There were no other buildings around and the whole place was quite isolated so they didn't have to worry about somebody seeing them. They got out of the car and Wolf and Kyla started unloading their equipment. Max just stood besides the SUV trying to wrap her mind around what had happened. She had killed before, but always in self-defense or trying to protect somebody that was dear to her, she had never killed the way she had today, so coldly. She didn't feel guilt or remorse, to be honest she didn't feel anything at all and that frightened her.

Kyla saw her expression and motioned silently for Wolf to take their gear and go into the house. He frowned but upon seeing his sister's hollow expression he just nodded and disappeared into the building soon after. Kyla approached Max slowly, eyeing her with concern. She knew what her team mate was going through at the moment.

"Max?" she said trying to sound reassuring. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." The answer was automatically.

"The hell you are!" Despite the rather harsh words Kyla's voice was soft. "Come on, talk to me."

"You wouldn't understand" Max shook her head slowly not meeting the other woman's eyes.

"You think so, hm? I know exactly how you are feeling, Max." When the brown haired X5 didn't answer and kept her eyes on the low Kyla sighed and produced a packet of cigarettes out of her pockets. She lit one for herself then offered the package to Max. "Want one?"

Even in her current state of mind Max couldn't help but wonder. Kyla smoked? She had always appeared to be like she wanted to be in top shape all the time. The shorthaired X5 grinned recognizing her surprise; with her face still covered in camouflage color her teeth looked almost unnaturally white against the dark green and black on her skin.

"One after each successful mission" Kyla explained. "It won't kill you. Wolf does it, too, so don't worry about it. Take one; it will make you feel better. Even we need some distraction sometimes."

Without actually thinking about it Max nodded and took one of the cigarettes and bent forward a little bit when Kyla lit it. It was a stupid thing to do but at the moment she didn't care. The smoke burned in her lungs but after the first seconds she relaxed a little bit. The two women stood in silence for a few minutes until before Kyla spoke up again.

"You want to know how I got my name?" Max looked at her with a tiny spark of curiousness in her eyes. Why would she tell her? She had not been in unit two for a long time and her 2IC hadn't even told Alec. She nodded. Kyla smiled almost sadly. "It was one of my first outside missions after '09. We were going after a man called Yann Kuzec. He was supposed to be one of the men behind the pulse. Unfortunately his security was very good and there was no way of getting to him without risking too many losses. But eventually we found a way."

The slightly older transgenic grinded her cigarette under her jackboot.

"He was a pedophile. Manticore decided that a female X5 would be able to get close enough to him. They chose me. I was about twelve at the time." Kyla looked at Max very well remembering that mission. Eidetic memory wasn't always an advantage. "It worked. I got past his guards and into his bedroom. But when he started touching me I lost it and instead of waiting for a better chance I grabbed a paper knife and somehow managed to cut his throat with it. Not a very clean way of neutralizing your target but it worked. After that I fled. I felt no remorse, nothing, I had done my job and had to get out of there again. You can imagine that his guards couldn't stop me, I think they were too shocked to hold me back, a small girl having his blood all over her."

She laughed bitterly at her memories.

"When I got out Wolf was already waiting for me. He brought me back to our hideout. I couldn't stop thinking about what I had done. I had felt nothing, no anger, no hate, not guilt. Just nothing. He tried to get to me during the whole night but I was too preoccupied with my own thoughts to even answer to him. Thinking about it now I know I had been in shock. That was when he told me about a girl he'd met a few years back, a girl who had given him a name: Wolf. He said that I could have a name too and suggested Kyla. I didn't know what it meant but I liked how it sounded. It always remembers me of that night but when hearing my name I do not think about that man dying at my hands or his blood on my skin; I always remember how Wolf cared about me afterwards and that is a good memory."

The black haired X5 breathed deeply and Max understood now why she hadn't told Alec about the origin of her name.

"You see, I know how you feel. It had been my first kill and it completely threw me of the track. That's normal; everybody in our unit had this sort of experience and they all got over it like you will, too. It's what we've been trained to do, it's what we have been made for. We're soldiers."

"I don't feel like a soldier at the moment" Max answered quietly, "more like a killer."

"Everybody is a killer, Max, we just are better ones than almost anybody else. I know it's hard to believe at first but that's just the way it is. I only want you to know that you have friends now who know and understand, just like I had Wolf during that night."

Max just nodded, feeling a little bit better. Perhaps there was some truth to the old saying 'a problem shared is a problem halved'. She didn't understand why Kyla trusted her so much but she felt glad to have the other woman at her side.

"And now come" Kyla finally said when she saw that the other X5 was starting to understand what she had been talking about. It would take her a few more hours, perhaps even a day or two to get accustomed to the thought that she had only done what had been necessary but the black haired transgenic was sure Max would be okay again. The first time was always the hardest. "You need a shower and me too."

* * *

"_Until now Manticore has been trying to stay hidden from the public but that cannot be tolerated anymore. The people responsible for the actions of this program must be brought before justice. Eyes Only knows about Manticore's exact location, he knows about the special marks its soldiers have on their skin, it knows about the name of at least one of the men who are responsible for the deaths of several innocent civilians. You know I'm talking about you, Colonel, or do you prefer 'Deck'? Manticore has four days to reveal itself to the public or Eyes Only will reveal everything he has to the people of this country. This has been a streaming freedom video."_

There was a long pause of silence in Logan's apartment after the video feed had ended.

"So, this is it" Bling finally said in a grave voice. "We're going against Manticore."

"We have always been going against them" Logan corrected him, "But never before so much was at stake.

"Let's just hope your new friends are up to their task." Even Zack sounded strained; he knew better than anyone else in the room what Manticore was capable of.

"They are not my friends and you know it." Logan sighed and turned towards Bling. "You should go home, Bling, you've done more than enough."

"I will stay, Logan, I want to have Max back, too."

Logan only nodded and the tree men returned to their task, which was waiting in silence and hoping that the Red Cell would spot the Manticore TAC team soon enough. It was a waiting game, again.

* * *

_"Unit two, report to classroom seven!_" the voice sounded from the speakers. _"I repeat: Unit two, report to classroom seven!"_

Wolf looked up from the reading he was doing in his cell but was quick to leave his small private space. Outside in the corridor the other team members met up and together they made their way to the classroom.

"Do you have any idea what's going on?" Kyla asked him.

"No", he answered curtly.

"Perhaps they finally got us another mission", Nitro said from behind them. "It would be nice to see some action again."

"We'll see." He, Max and Kyla had returned from their latest mission only days ago and he would be glad to have a few more days off.

When they entered the classroom they were surprised to see at least a dozen fully armed guards but having been soldiers for all of their lives – at least most of them – they managed to hide their feelings and stood behind their chairs.

A few minutes passed and neither the X5 nor the guards moved but Max could feel their nervousness. Something had happened, something bad and she couldn't help but sense Wolf getting nervous, too.

Suddenly the door opened and Lydecker entered the room with a grim expression on his face.

"Attention!" Wolf barked automatically and the transgenics snapped. Lydecker looked at them for a few seconds clearly angry.

"Sergeant O'Neill" he addressed the guards, "you and your men can wait outside."

"Yes, sir!" O'Neill knew better than to question the Colonel's orders; too long he had served under the highly decorated veteran. He nodded towards his men and the black clad guards left the room without a word. When the door had been closed Lydecker turned towards the X5s who were still standing at attention. Finally he growled: "At ease. Take a seat!"

Wolf's team did as told. After that Lydecker looked from one to another. They didn't show any emotion but in their eyes he could see that they were worried. Good.

"Soldiers" he began carefully choosing every word, "I have come to know that there has been a breach of regulations in you unit. You, all of you, did something you very well knew it is strictly forbidden."

They kept looking at him and he could see that they were beginning to understand what he was talking about; nevertheless they rested motionless.

"I have learned that you are calling each other by names when you think you're not being observed." This at least got him a little reaction. Some of the soldiers paled and he could hear Max gasp. He looked at Wolf but the CO of the unit just like his 2IC Kyla had a stone cold expression on his face and just kept staring at the wall. "Before you ask: It is none of your concern how I came to know about that. I'm the head of this facility and it is my job to know about everything going on on this base! It is furthermore my job not to tolerate any breach of rules. I had to report your misconduct to my superiors and they were not pleased at all."

Hearing this Wolf closed his eyes feeling defeated. He'd known it. How could he have been so stupid? Because of his failure the whole unit would be punished, put into PsyOps or even worse.

"I know that X5-210 and X5-452 always had a thing for names but I wouldn't have thought that the rest of you would be so stupid. As you know giving each other names has been the first sign of problems in unit one before they deserted and this has never been forgotten. Most of the committee members wanted you in PsyOps, some of them even wanted your unit dissolved."

Some of the transgenics trembled almost invisibly. If a unit got dissolved the unit members usually were put into PsyOps and not released until they had undergone a reindoctrination so severe they remembered almost nothing about their former life. It was what had happened to 734 – Brin. Lydecker saw the signs of fear and nodded grimly.

"To be honest I have been inclined at first to do exactly what the committee wanted but I decided against it." Kyla looked up for the first time showing some sort of emotion. He saw hope in her eyes. "Your service records are all class A and you've showed in the past that you're loyal to Manticore even in extreme situations. You're older and more experienced than the members of unit one have been and there hasn't been a problem with 451 and 301 who have been using their names for years. I was able to convince the committee to spare you this time but all of your actions will be watched very closely. One mistake and you will undergo a reindoctrination so ripely you are not even able of imagining it; what X5-452 has experienced some months ago will be nothing compared to the things I will let PsyOps do to you. If I see only one of you being distracted or lacking the usual amount of effort I will put the whole unit through hell and back until you're acting like the soldiers you are, IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?"

"Sir, yes sir!" a chorus of voices answered him. The X5 looked frightened, all of them, even the battle hardened Wolf and Kyla. The knowledge that they were given a last chance didn't lessen their fears for they knew he wasn't a man of empty threats.

"I hope so" he said seemingly much calmer. "To make things clear: The committee does allow you to use your names when talking to a member of your unit. They've decided that it would be a worthless effort to try and erase them from your minds again. Don't ask me how you earned such mercy."

Of course he knew; it had been him who had convinced the committee members that trying to let the whole unit forget about their names would only decrease their operational abilities and perhaps even lead to the danger of another '09 escape and surprisingly they had believed him. Perhaps it was because he had managed to bring back 210 and 452 and knew more about the '09 escapees than anyone else but he didn't know and he didn't care, all that mattered was that unit two would continue to exist.

"When talking to a superior or an outsider you will only use your designations. The instructors have been informed and any further misconduct will be reported immediately. Now, I will only ask you bunch of undisciplined blockheads once. Did you understand what I just said?"

"Sir, yes sir!" they all voiced their affirmatives and he nodded, the grim expression not gone from his face. "Good. Now, everybody except for 451, 301, 439 and 452: Dismissed!"

When the rest of the unit had left Lydecker turned towards the four remaining X5.

"Okay, listen up" he barked changing into his more formal command tone. "We do have a situation in Seattle. There is a man who calls himself Eyes Only. He's been trying to destroy our cover for some time now and the committee wants us to deal with this problem."

* * *

**Okay, definitely not a chapter as easy to read like the ones before, but hey, I warned you.**

**The cliffhanger is not so bad this time, just give me a few reviews and you'll get more.**

**See ya!**


	16. Chapter 16

Thanks to all of you who read and review this story again, you're great!

**452max:** Thanks again, and special thanks for your compliment about my writing abilities. Means a lot to me, I mean, English not being my native language. Well, you'll get a glimpse about how Max will react to Logan or better, his actions in this chapter.

**Divine Fighter:** You'll know about what happens to Logan in this chapter, well, not everything but the beginning. Yes, I haven't forgotten Jace and I also know that I promised to write more about Brin and I didn't forget it. But I can't do it before we know how Max will decide in this whole Manticore-Unit-Loyalty-Freedom-or-Logan-or-somethingcompletelyelse-thing. I'll get it done and if I should forget give me a little kick ;) Glad you like Kyla, too. I wasn't sure if I would get her story right, thank you. Oh yeah, about Lydecker; I think we all know that when it comes to his kids despite his tough exterior he can be quite a teddy bear sometimes, right? Okay, not very often but it happens.

**roseyangel:** Thanks to you, too. Well, I know what Max did in the last chapter was not an 'nice' thing to read but I think it's just a necessary evil. Endgame? Who said anything about an endgame? :) Certainly not me because I have absolutely no clue where this story will take me *gg* I really can't tell you at the moment. How many chapters would you like?

Okay, no char list this time, you're not gonna need it.

Read and enjoy!

* * *

Max listened to Lydecker going over the few intel Manticore had on Eyes Only. They would leave the base in two hours and go to Seattle where they had only three days to find out who this Eyes Only was and neutralize the thread he posed to their operations. She saw how Wolf his frowned when he heard how little time they had. Sure, to find some common person three days would be more than enough but this cyber-journalist had proved in the past that he was capable of eluding even an organization as mighty as Manticore.

But it was possible. Until now Eyes Only had only been a minor annoyance way below the usual adversaries Manticore had to deal with. This time however they would get every support they needed and chances were good with the help of the several intelligence agencies working with each other and already looking out for the cyber-journalist the four X5 would catch him this time.

Max bit on her lip nervously, not knowing what to do. Sure, she had to be loyal to her unit and her mission but she still remembered Logan being a friend and she didn't know if she could endure being part of the team that had to eliminate him; she had barely recovered from her latest shock after killing Aaron Wittacker.

"Any questions?" Lydecker asked when he had finished his explanations. Max rose from her chair.

"Sir, X5-452!" She had made her decision; once they'd left the base there would be no going back, she had to try and save Logan's life now. "Permission to speak, sir?"

"Granted." Lydecker looked at her with not very friendly eyes. Sure, deep inside he felt something for her he had never experienced before but he had not forgotten yet who had caused all the trouble in unit two he had to deal with at the moment.

"Sir, I know who Eyes Only is."

Everybody in the room looked at her astonished and Max couldn't remember when she had seen the Colonel so lost for words the last time. If the situation hadn't been so serious his facial expression probably would have made her laugh. Finally he pulled himself together and shot her an almost angry glare.

"You know the true identity of Eyes Only?" She nodded. "Why didn't you tell us before?"

"Sir, you never asked, sir!" Max remained stoic, hands behind her back and her eyes straight. It was the truth after all; neither PsyOps nor Lydecker had ever asked her a single question about Logan or Eyes Only.

"Okay", Lydecker sighed heavily and she could tell it took him every sort of control he had not to lose his temper. "Tell us, what you know."

Max swallowed hard and after a short pause of hesitation started to talk.

* * *

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Bling asked.

"I never did" Logan answered with a bitter chuckle, "But it's probably the only chance we'll get and besides that it's too late to run away. I'm sure they already know we're here."

They were waiting near the docks again for another mysterious man to meet them. This had become some sort of tradition by now and Logan caught himself thinking that he probably even looked like some kind of don sitting around in his wheelchair in a place like this at one o'clock in the morning with his bodyguard at his side.

He thought back to the phone call he had received two days ago.

"_Hello?"_

"_Good morning, Mister Cale. Up already?"_

"_Who are you?" The voice sounded strangely familiar to him but Logan didn't recognize it._

"_Oh, now I'm hurt. Weren't you saying you knew everything about me, Mister Cale?" The voice was almost taunting now but Logan could hear the barely restrained anger in it._

"_I'm sorry, but whoever you are, I'm afraid you got the wrong number."_

"_Oh no, I certainly didn't, Mister Cale." If the voice had been taunting before it was cold as ice now. "Or do you prefer Eyes Only?"_

_When Logan didn't answer the male voice continued._

"_This is Colonel Lydecker, Mister Cale. If you want to live to see another day you better listen now to what I have to say to you."_

"_How did you find out?" Logan finally said his eyes already frantically searching for an intruder in his apartment._

"_Relax, Mister Cale, if I wanted you dead you'd have stopped breathing already" Lydecker assured him and Logan was sure he heard an almost amused undertone in the older man's voice this time. "Instead I'd like to make you an offer. Be at the docks the day after tomorrow at one a.m."_

"_Where exactly and how do I know this is not a trap?"_

"_You don't but I know who you are and I know what you look like", Lydecker snarled now clearly annoyed. "If I wanted to I could kill you anytime I want without the slightest effort. Just be there if you want to live, we will find you."_

_Without waiting for another answer the older man hung up._

After that Logan, Bling and Zack had left the apartment head over heels and got to another safe house where they stayed for the next two days awaiting an attack anytime. Surprisingly there hadn't been any and after making contact with Johannessen and his Red Cell they had agreed that they would go to the docks, not because Lydecker wanted them too, but because it was probably the only chance of getting to an X5 before the Colonel run out of patience and ordered his men to attack.

Until now the reds had reported that only one X5 had entered the city but it still was risky, very risky and they knew it but it was their only chance now; with an X5 in their hands Manticore would have to think twice before attacking them again.

So here they were, waiting for at least one highly trained super-soldier who certainly had observed them for some time now and hopefully really only was there to talk to Logan who shifted uncomfortably in his wheelchair.

But the look of a seemingly crippled and helpless man was deceiving; under the blanket covering his legs he wore the exoskeleton and felt ready to jump up and fight whatever would emerge from the darkness that surrounded the small illuminated area they were waiting in. Not that this was likely to be necessary: Johannessen's men were on their posts already only waiting for their target to walk into their trap. There were six of the Red Cell soldiers waiting in the shadows around them. Johannessen had asked his superiors for reinforcements when he'd heard about Manticore making contact with Logan directly.

And they still had their joker, Zack. The X5 was waiting in the car twenty meters behind them. They had agreed it would be better if the male transgenic kept some distance to the reds so he was waiting ready at all times to make his appearance if needed which they all hoped wouldn't be the case.

Suddenly a tall figure in black clothing emerged from the shadows and approached Logan and Bling slowly. Logan recognized him immediately but even if he hadn't he would have known he was looking at an X5: The calm and confident stride, the aura of danger that showed in every movement and the predatory yet almost amused look in his eyes, just like a cat would look at its prey.

It was Wolf. He approached the two men but stopped when he was about four meters away from them and Bling made a move like he wanted to reach for his gun. It was only a warning but the meaning was clear to everybody.

"You look better than the last time I saw you", Logan said when the silence became too awkward. The X5 smiled icily.

"Yeah, thank you. I heard you had something to do with it."

"My pleasure. What did you do to Max?"

"I have something Colonel Lydecker ordered me to give to you" the transgenic answered ignoring Logan's last question. "Can I take it out or will your oversized wardrobe try and shoot me?"

"Do it" Bling answered before Logan could take the little quarrel to a new level, "slowly."

"Whatever you say, big guy" Wolf grinned but Logan saw that his eyes still had the same dangerous look. The X5 reached into one of his pockets and took out a disk. Bling took a few steps forward and carefully took it, giving it to Logan.

"What's this?" the cyber-journalist wanted to know.

"The Colonel's offer, Mister Cale" Wolf said curtly and turned to leave. "Whatever it is, I suggest you accept it. Goodnight, gentlemen."

"I'm afraid this is not gonna happen" Logan called after him and the transgenic stopped dead in his tracks. As if on cue the six Red Cell soldiers appeared from everywhere surrounding the lone X5 blocking every possible way of escape.

At first Wolf just grinned. They had noticed the six men Cale had brought along long before he had even left Artemis who was now waiting on a rooftop several hundreds of meters away looking through her sniper scope. A simple scan had showed them that none of them except for Cale and his personal bodyguard carried firearms and until now Wolf had believed they were only there to provide further security to the great Eyes Only but now it seemed like they were here to hold him back. Six men, pathetic! Had that man learned nothing from the times when he had talked with Max?

When he eyed the six of them closer his grin suddenly vanished. They looked strong, okay, but usually that wouldn't have been a problem for him. But there was something else about them, about the way they moved and smelled. Suddenly it hit him.

"Those are Red Cell!" he shouted into the hidden micro in his jacket. "All units attack!"

In a fluent move he drew his gun and aimed at the first man attacking him. He dove to the right while emptying half of his clip into his enemy's chest. The red fell to the ground not moving anymore. At the same moment another foreign super-soldier suddenly threw his head back before Wolf could even hear the gunshot from Artemis' rifle. Before the second dead body hit the ground Wolf spun around but was too slow; one of the four remaining reds kicked the gun out of his hand and another one hit him in the side so hard he could feel his rips breaking.

* * *

Max and Kyla were lying not far away from their teammate and watched his reactions when the six men surrounded him. They wore the usual black battle dress and black masks making it difficult to see them in the dark night. In fact it almost made them invisible. They had approached one the six men while he had been waiting until they had been almost able to touch him and he hadn't noticed them. Suddenly there was a change in Wolf's behavior and the two women straightened up.

"_Those are Red Cell! All units attack!"_

Before the radio message had ended Max and Kyla had already left their hideout and sprinted towards the fight. They saw Wolf shooting one of his attackers and heard Artemis taking a shot and saw a second red fall but before the sniper could get another one the combatants were already too close to each other and she would have risked to hit Wolf by accident. The remaining reds started kicking and beating the X5 in their middle.

Without thinking the two female transgenics jumped at the reds who were surprised at first but quickly turned towards their new attackers; one kept trying to keep Wolf on the ground while two others went after Kyla and the last one turned towards Max.

The following fight was short but brutal: The Red Cell was stronger and could withstand injuries better than the X-series; until now Max had only read about them in a few mission reports but she was about to learn very quickly that they were deadly enemies.

She managed to dodge the red's first attacks until one of his fists connected with her jaw. She tasted her own blood in her mouth and stumbled backwards; her enemy was quick to follow her. She heard gunshots and looked around frantically.

"_Max! Get down!"_ a voice sounded in her ear followed by a loud crack. Without thinking she let herself fall onto the ground. The red got hit in the head by something and fell to the floor; it was then that Max understood.

"Thank you, Artemis."

"_My pleasure"_ was the sniper's grim answer.

Max looked around. The fight had only been going on for about a minute but already the place looked like a battlefield. Five of the Red Cell soldiers lay on the ground not moving anymore. There were the three Artemis and Wolf had shot and another one lay right beside her brother who held his now empty gun in his hand; apparently he had gotten himself a second kill this night, too. He was bleeding from a nasty laceration on his forehead but otherwise seemed to be quite okay considering the circumstances.

The fifth dead red had a battle knife in his chest and lay a little bit more to the right where Kyla was still fighting against her second attacker.

Apparently she'd dealt with the first one quite quickly but the second Red Cell soldier whether better trained than his unlucky comrade or angry because of his death kept attacking her with uncompromising harshness. She had managed to dodge most of his kicks and blows until now but just when Max and Wolf got back on their feet almost simultaneously he hit her in the gut. She winced and lashed out herself but he grabbed her arm and twisted it with the pure force the implant in his head gave him. There was a sickening crack and Kyla threw her head back screaming in agony. For a moment she was unable to defend herself and the red took his chance: He hit her again, this time against her throat and her scream was immediately silenced.

"KYLA!" Wolf screamed while he and Max were running towards the red who let go of the defenseless woman and turned around awaiting them with an expression of hatred and bloodlust on his face. Before the two X5 could even reach him he suddenly stumbled forward and fell to the ground when another crack of a rifle could be heard.

"_Artemis three down"_, their sniper announced. _"Look behind you."_

The two X5 did as they were told and got aware of Bling and Logan still being there. Logan was standing on his exoskeleton and they both had guns in their hands but they were not aiming at the two X5. Not yet. But what really took Max aback was the third man suddenly standing there. Zack. She felt surprised at first, then she began to understand and felt the anger in her rise.

"Wolf, take care of…" she began but upon turning towards her brother she saw that he was already kneeling at Kyla's side. He had removed her mask and Max could see her pained expression and the rising panic; apparently she could still breathe which was almost a miracle considering the hit she had taken against her throat but still it didn't seem to be enough. She kept looking at Wolf seemingly not aware of anything else while frantically trying to breathe in enough oxygen to survive. They didn't have the equipment to help her; if she wouldn't be evacuated quickly she would die and she knew it. Her brother briefly looked up , first at Max, then at the three man and then back at Max.

"Go!" was the only thing he said before he returned his attention to the seriously injured Kyla.

Max nodded and turned around calmly walking towards them. "Artemis, signal Lydecker to send us a Med-Evac ASAP, Kyla's injured. And then I could use some cover."

"_Consider yourself covered."_

The three men waited for her not moving. She briefly looked at Bling but she knew he hadn't been the one responsible for the events that had just taken place. When she got closer Zack got into his fighting stance and Max stopped and looked at them for a few seconds in a mixture of anger, almost hatred and also something she would never have thought feeling when seeing Logan or Zack: Disdain.

Finally she took off her mask.

* * *

**Okay, my cliffhangers are getting meaner again, that's a good sign, I'm on the mend.**

**For any of you who want to know how the three will react to Max well, you know what to do *looking around innocently***


	17. Chapter 17

Yes, my cliffhanger are getting meaner again. I now, I'm evil, can't help but somehow it feels gooooooood *gg*

**Divine Fighter:** I have already been thinking about letting Jace and/or Brin go after the other '09 escapees along with Max and the others, we will see. And about what Max is going to do to Zack...well, here you have the update. Thanks for your review.

**c00kieMonster:** There you are again! Thanks to you, too. Yes, there's some Alec in this chapter. Read and enjoy.

**throwerpro**: Thanks again. Just keeps going on ;)

**roseyangel:** I'm afraid Logan's gonna need some recovery time after this chapter but, well, you're right, he won't stop. Okay, I definitely wanted the last one to become an important but you'll see this one to be even more important (and to some of you perhaps even shocking. I hope I won't lose any reviewers here) but there are still plenty of possibilities floating around in my head. We'll see about it in the near future. Thanks for the review!

**Taeniaea:** Thanks again and no, they're not gonna be happy. Especially one transgenic we all know and love.

Okay, before I add the char list this time again I have two questions for you. It's up to you to decide (up to a certain level) in which direction this story will go (yeah, I know, I love democracy...most of the time)

1. M/L, M/A or neither one nor the other?

2. Do you want me:

A: to continue this story as it is?

B: to open a new story and writing the sequel there?

C: not to continue this story at all?

I'd like you to answer these questions so I have some sort of guideline where to go next. I can't promise I will do anything you request, tough. As I said, I like democrady **most** of the time *grins wickedly*

Okay, now I'm gonna add the char list and then: read and enjoy!

**X5-494 aka Alec** Member of unit two and third in the chain of command. He has become sort the unit's unofficial leader as Wolf and Kyla often are on outside missions. He can be sort of a smart ass sometimes but he usually knows when to stop.

**X5-439 aka Artemis** Member of unit two. She's the sniper of her unit. Her rather calm and controlled self helps the others from getting out of hand too much. Like Wolf and Kyla she keeps her brown hair very short as she thinks it would hinder her otherwise.

**X5-526 aka Bear** Member of unit two. He's the biggest and strongest X5 in the unit and prefers heavy weapons. Nevertheless he's very gentle and almost never gets angry.

**X5-194 aka Blade** Member of unit two. The Asian woman is one of the few that could actually beat her CO or her 2IC in a hand-to-hand combat. She is almost obsessed with any sort of blades and usually tries not to use firearms.

**X5-367 aka Havoc** Member of unit two. The black haired and tanned transgenic is the unit's expert when it comes to explosives. He is almost as calm as 439 and is known for his subtle sense of humor.

**X5-210 aka Jondy** As children Max and Jondy had been in unit one and escaped together in '09. Jondy got caught by Lydecker months before Max and has joined unit two. She is loyal to Manticore and her unit but this doesn't mean she likes everybody around the base. Eventually she even refers to Lydecker that he 'can be an asshole sometimes'. Nevertheless she chose to stay out of her free will and hopes Max will be in her unit for she deeply cares about her younger sister.

**X5-301 aka Kyla** 2IC of unit two. Usually paired with Wolf during their missions. The two of them have the most experience throughout the X-series when it comes to combat missions and search and destroy and both of them are very well trained in close quarter combat and hand-to-hand fights.

**X5-258 aka Nitro** Member of unit two. The young blond man adores every sort of vehicle. He's one of the more unsettled X5.

**X5-154 aka Nova** The blond transgenic is the medic of unit two. She's one of the smallest X5 but nevertheless can take care of herself just fine. Other than that she's one of the X5 with the most experience in missions outside Manticore.

**X5-451 aka Wolf** CO of unit two and Max's genetic brother. His intense grey eyes and very short black hair clearly let him look like the soldier he is. Calm and almost always controlled his self-discipline and his knowledge about almost every kind of combat make him a very dangerous enemy.

* * *

The three men looked at her in shock when they realized who was standing in front of them. Zack was the first to get over his surprise. A big smile appeared on his face and he took a step towards her. Almost mechanically her hand crept near the gun in her holster. She hadn't used it before because at first she hadn't wanted to hurt Wolf and then there hadn't been enough time. She mentally reminded herself not to draw it know; Zack and Logan might have made a mistake but they were not here to kill Eyes Only and Zack wasn't on their list either although she felt like jumping at him any moment.

"Stop right there" she hissed at her former CO and he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Max, what…?" Zack began but she cut him off.

"Shut up!" Her voice was harsh and she kept glaring at the three of them gimlet-eyed. "And don't even consider coming closer; our sniper would kill you before you would be able to reach me."

Had there been joy in their eyes when they had realized they'd finally found her all she could see now was incomprehension and confusion.

"Max, what's that supposed to mean?" Logan asked clearly not understanding why she was acting like that. "Come on, we have to go before they recover."

"They? THEY?" she all but screamed. "_They_ are my unit, Logan! If it wasn't for them I wouldn't be alive anymore at all and you…you…!" She clenched her gloved hands into fists and closed her eyes for a brief moment until she felt like she would be able to control the boiling rage inside her for a few more minutes.

"Go!" she ordered them her body still slightly trembling in anger. "We just called for backup, they'll be here soon."

"I don't understand" Logan said sounding almost desperate looking from her to Zack and Bling. Bling just stood there seemingly very calm. He had holstered his gun again and looked at her with a sort of silent understanding. He already knew what she was talking about but his friend didn't. Logan called out for her again and took a step towards her like Zack had before. "Max, come on!"

"Don't!" Zack held him back. He had a grim expression on his face and stared at Max in a mixture of disbelief and anger. Logan stopped and looked at the younger man. Zack nodded towards Max and she could see sorrow beneath his other feelings. "She's Manticore now."

"I'm Manticore?" Max snorted derisively. "I'm Manticore, Zack? You allied with the Red Cell and don't think I don't know why you did it! You wanted to give them an X5 in exchange for their help. You are more Manticore than the X5s I'm serving with! How could you ever think I would agree with something like that?"

"We wanted to give you your freedom back, Maxie" Zack growled.

"Give me back…?" Max was close to exploding. "I'm not a puppet, Zack! You have no right to decide what is good for me and what is not, and neither do you, Logan! I can't believe you actually wanted to sell one of us to the reds."

"Max!" Wolf suddenly called out sounding anxious. She briefly looked back over her shoulder to where he still tried to help Kyla. The injured X5 didn't move anymore. "I'm losing her!"

"He's using your name?" Zack had his CO face back on. "Didn't think Manticore would allow such a thing."

"There's a lot you don't know about Manticore anymore" Max growled.

She glared at Logan and Zack when she heard the distant noise of a helicopter closing in.

"That's our backup" she informed the three men coldly "I suggest you go, now! You got the disc, Logan. Use it!"

She turned around not caring about what they would do now. Artemis covered her and there were more important things to do now. In a second she was at her brother's side.

"Max, wait!" Logan called after her but Zack held him back again.

"There's nothing we can do at the moment" he hissed and pulled the older man towards the car. Bling was quick to follow them and got onto the driver's seat starting the motor. Logan kept struggling. "No, no! We must help her! We must take her with us! Zack!"

The male transgenic didn't listen. He would have tried to take Max with them by force if it had been possible but with the sniper somewhere around there was no chance he would've been able to do so. He opened the door and almost threw Logan on the backseat before getting in the car himself.

"Go!" was the only thing he said and Bling didn't need any further encouragement; he could already see the helicopter's floodlight. He started driving deeper into the docks where he hoped nobody would be able to follow them and after a few seconds the car with the three men was gone.

Meanwhile Max and Kyla were frantically trying to help the motionless Kyla.

"When did she stop breathing?" she asked.

"About a minute ago!" His voice was hoarse his hands were trembling slightly.

The helicopter finally arrived and started to decline. Before it even touched the ground half a dozen of Manticore black ops soldiers jumped out and run towards them.

"Medic!" Max shouted waving for Corporal Hayden. The man was at their side in the blink of an eye while the other soldiers secured the perimeter.

"What happened to her?" the corpsman wanted to know kneeling down at Kyla's side but Wolf didn't seem to hear the question.

"She took a hit against the throat!" Max answered over the noise of the helicopter's engine when her brother didn't answer. "Stopped breathing two minutes ago."

Hayden nodded and started palpating Kyla's throat carefully. After a few seconds he swore.

"We have to intubate", he shouted. He took out several items from his bag and bent over Kyla. "Give me some room, 451!"

Wolf nodded and moved a little bit but still stayed as close as possible to the unconscious woman. Hayden worked very quickly and after about thirty seconds that seemed like hours Kyla's chest suddenly moved again.

"Okay, got it" Hayden smiled. "Get her on the stretcher, we have to get her to surgery as fast as possible!"

A few minutes later the helicopter took off again. Onboard were the Manticore black ops and the four X5. They had accomplished their mission but none of them felt like celebrating.

Max and Artemis sat beside each other looking at Kyla who lay on the stretcher and was still intubated. Wolf knelt at the side of his injured 2IC holding her hand. She had regained consciousness but her gaze was unfocused. Nevertheless her eyes never left his and he could feel her keeping his hand in a firm grasp like she was afraid he would leave.

* * *

"What was going on with her?" Logan finally wanted to know in a heavy voice. He was sitting on an old couch in the living room of his safe house. Bling sat on a chair near the door and Zack was looking out of the window. They had arrived several minutes ago and neither of them had spoken a word.

It had been Max! His Max! He had been overwhelmed with joy when he had seen her after all these months without even knowing if she was still alive. And then she refused to come with him, even accused him.

"She has been reprogrammed", Zack said his eyes not leaving the streets outside the house.

"And what does that mean?"

"Brainwashing."

"She didn't look brainwashed to me" Bling said. "More angry as hell."

"What do you know?" Zack snapped looking at the taller man.

"I know that she cared more about her friends than about us" Bling replied calmly.

"Her friends?" Zack spat out the word like it had a bad taste. Deep inside he hadn't liked the idea of handing over an X5 to the Red Cell but he was too angry and wanted Max out of Manticore too badly to admit it. "They are not her friends; they're just another bunch of brainwashed Manticore drones. They would kill her without hesitation if Lydecker would order them to do so."

"How can you be sure about that? From what she said they've saved her life."

"You don't know Manticore! They can make you believe anything they want."

"That is not the question at the moment" Logan finally spoke up without looking at the two men. "The question is: What are we going to do next? Apparently Max believes that she belongs to Manticore; she didn't come with us tonight and she certainly will not the next time. If there is a next time."

"I will contact the others" Zack said after some seconds. "I will not leave her behind and I'm sure neither do the others. It will take some time but after tonight every one of us has to lay low for a while anyway. You should leave the city, too."

Logan shook his head. "No, I'll stay. I have contacts here and places to hide. Bling?"

"I agree. We have better chances if we stay here."

"It's your decision" Zack sighed. "But I have to leave. I will contact you when I found the others."

He turned to leave. Before he left the room he said over his shoulder: "Good luck. You're gonna need it!"

After he had closed the door behind him Logan suddenly chuckled. "Charming, isn't he?"

"Indeed." Bling sighed. "What are we gonna do?"

"I don't know yet. I think I will call Asha, perhaps she can tell us where that helicopter came from." Logan stood up.

"Logan?" Bling's voice was suddenly even more serious.

"Yeah?"

"There is also another possibility you and Zack never thought about."

"Which would be?"

"I know you won't like it but have you ever considered that perhaps Max was telling us the truth? That she really sees the other X5 as her friends and chose to stay at Manticore out of her free will?

* * *

When Kyla awoke at first her head felt light, like she had breathed in too much teargas again. Her vision was blurry but quickly became better. She tried to look around but found it extremely difficult to move. She was in the infirmary. Her throat hurt and so did her right arm which was in a cast. Suddenly her memories came back. The mission, the contact with Logan Cale and the Red Cell attacking them.

'That son of a…" she thought grimly but didn't finish her thoughts when she suddenly got aware of another person in the room.

She slightly turned her head and got aware of the form of a sleeping X5 in the chair beside her bed. She couldn't hold back a tiny smile when she recognized him. Wolf.

She tried to say something but when trying so the pain in her throat increased and she winced. That woke him up and he immediately looked at her with tired but never the less alert eyes. When he saw that she was in pain he jumped up and wanted to call out for one of the nurses when he suddenly felt a hand on his wrist holding him back. He looked down at the female X5 slightly surprised and she let go of him.

'It's okay' she motioned to him in Manticore's sign language then pointed towards her throat. 'Hurts'

He relaxed a little bit and finally sat down again.

"Of course it hurts" he said trying not to show his worry. "You've been in surgery for nine hours."

'Injuries?'

"From what I heard you had a smashed windpipe. Corporal Hayden had to intubate you. They've managed to repair it but you shouldn't talk yet. And your right arm's broken but Cottle said you should make a full recovery."

'Good. How long?'

"We came home four days ago. The pilot first wanted to contact one of our local bases but Lydecker ordered us to come directly back here. Says he didn't want to risk another attack from the Red Cell." It had been a tactically correct decision but Wolf remembered how his temper had flared when he heard that it would take them a lot longer until Kyla could be treated. "When you were out of surgery the Doc decided that it would be best if he kept you sedated at least until you didn't need that plastic tube in your throat anymore. He has removed it this morning."

So this was why her throat felt so sore. Four days? A long time.

She couldn't help but grin when he suddenly had to stifle a yawn. He really had to be tired. 'Go. Sleep.'

He shook his head.

"No, I will stay. I'm still off duty for the next two days." At her asking glance he added: "Concussion and three broken rips."

'You. Need. Sleep!'

"I'll sleep here. That chair isn't as uncomfortable as it looks."

She smiled at him brightly; that smile he loved so much!

"A mute beautiful girl, every man's dream" he joked and she frowned and lashed out at him in mock anger. He chuckled silently. "Okay, enough playing. You need to sleep, too."

For a while they just kept looking at each other in comfortable silence but soon Kyla could see that Wolf had more and more trouble keeping his eyes open until his body finally gave in and he slowly slumped forward until he fell asleep with his head on the mattress of her hospital bed.

When she saw this Kyla had to stifle a laugh because she knew it would hurt even more than trying to speak but suddenly she calmed down and her expression softened as she looked at her partner; he had slightly shifted in his sleep and his head now touched her left arm. The unconscious touch made her suddenly feel better and much calmer than before. Without thinking about it she carefully stroked his cropped short black hair. He smiled in his sleep and Kyla just kept looking at him with a happy light in her eyes until she fell asleep, too.

* * *

"Max!" Alec called out when they entered the barracks. She didn't stop and but he quickly was at her side. "What's going on with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Huh? Don't you tell me what I've just seen is really the best you have!"

"I was never really good at search and destroy."

"Oh come on!" He exclaimed and shot an intimidating glance at a few X6 passing by when they looked at the older soldiers. "You weren't even thinking about the mission. Where the hell have you been?"

"Outside on the training mission, just like you" she quipped. "Didn't you see me?"

"Listen" he said and his voice suddenly sounded much more annoyed. "I'm not Wolf and I'm not Kyla but while they are in the infirmary I'm the CO of this unit. Your actions put the whole team and the mission at risk and I want to know why you were not able to focus on your task."

"I don't want to talk about it." She regretted the words as soon as they had left her mouth but it was too late. Alec stopped and grabbed her by the shoulders. She hissed at him warningly. "Watch it, pretty boy!"

"No, you watch it! If this had been a real mission Nova and Blade would be dead and Havoc probably too. If we make mistakes in here we'll make mistakes out there and in our lives mistakes usually mean dead people! Now stop bitching around and tell me what the heck is wrong with you!" He glared at her clearly annoyed by her behavior and suddenly all her anger vanished and all she felt was frustration. He was right, she hadn't been focused on the mission at all and it had been her fault her unit had failed. She sighed.

"The man we were meeting in Seattle…I know him. From my time outside."

"What? The one that set the reds on you?" She nodded and he gave her a strange look. "You sure have interesting friends, Maxie!"

She hit him on the head, not forcefully enough to actually hurt him but he still flinched. Temporary CO or not, there were things she would not take from him.

"Ouch, what the…?"

"Don't call me that! And I don't know…I don't know…" 'Yeah, what was it she didn't know?' she kept asking herself. "I don't know if he's a friend anymore.

There, she had said it. The one thought that had been on her mind ever since they had returned four days ago. She understood why Zack and Logan had contacted the Red Cell but she also couldn't forgive them. They had tried to hand over her brother to the reds! She felt angry and confused and frustrated at the same time and most of all she couldn't stop thinking about it, her shark DNA not being useful this time at all.

Alec felt her incertitude and waited calmly for her to continue. Sure, he was a smartass and usually never missed an opportunity for one of his comments but he also knew when you had to be quiet. Well, most of the time.

"I'd have never imagined of him doing such a thing, you know" Max said in a low voice. "Allying with the Red Cell and trying to sell one of us to them. He had always been so moral and trustful and now he suddenly turns out to be…dammit I don't know what to believe anymore!"

"Desperate people will make desperate decisions, Max" Alec finally said. She looked at him surprised by his sudden seriousness. "Believe me I know what I'm talking about. It was not your mistake, stop thinking about it. The mission is over and you all made it back alive, that's all that counts."

His face suddenly lit up with his trademark grin again.

"But it's your fault that we got screwed today. Stop doing it or I'll have to think about some extra training lessons for you."

"Keep dreaming!" she answered still not feeling very good but already a little bit better. Yes, Alec could be annoying sometimes but he was also a good friend and apparently she really had needed somebody to talk about what had been bugging her since Seattle. "Okay, are we done?"

"I think so, but don't forget."

"I won't. Can I go?"

"Where are you going anyway?"

"Infirmary, I want to check on Wolf and Kyla."

"I'm coming with you. It's time for them to get their lazy butts out of those beds; I'm growing tired of always being in charge and all." Despite his words he kept grinning and Max rolled her eyes; everybody knew how much Alec liked to be in charge.

They went to Kyla's room first. When Max wanted to follow Alec into the room she almost bumped into him because he suddenly stopped like he was rooted to the spot.

"What the…!" she began but he signaled her to be quiet.

"Please, tell me you have a camera" he whispered with a big grin on his face. She pushed past him but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw what he was looking at.

There was Kyla lying in the hospital bed and asleep. On the chair beside her bed sat Wolf but his head was resting on the mattress. That alone would have been a sight to behold but it was even better. Kyla's hand was lying on Wolf's neck like she was trying to hold and protect him while she was asleep.

Both X5 were smiling and Max was sure she had never seen one of them looking so much at peace like that before.

* * *

**Okay, this was definitely not my usual sort of ending a chapter but don't you dare calling me getting old again or I just might let Renfro become Lydecker's new love interest! (OMG somehow I definitely now THAT is nothing I ever want to see!)**

**No, kidding. Remember please to answer the questions I asked at the beginning and if possible push the review button as well, please ;)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Taeniaea:** Thanks, the fastest again.

**Alan Grey:** To slit your wrists seems to be a bad idea in my eyes; would make the typing incredibly difficult. No, seriously, your review is what I've been talking about when saying to give me a little kick if you think I'm going in the wrong direction. I have to admit that I haven't been concentrating enough on Logan which clearly lead me into a wrong direction. I don't like changing already posted chapters so I've tried to explain his behavior in this chapter and I hope I got it right. I do understand why you think Logan got undervalued and you are right, my bad! I will concentrate a little bit more on him and I hope I get his character right. And of course I hope you don't stop reading. Thank you for advising me of my mistake.

**452max:** Thanks to you too. This update took a while longer, but here you go.

**smartyangelis:** Thanks for your review and for your answers too. I'll decide soon in which direction I will go with the different characters.

**Divine Fighter:** I think recruiting Logan or even the S1W for Manticore would be more than difficult as they despise this sort of agency. But well, we'll see, there are many different ideas floating around in my head. Thanks to you, too.

**JOUNOUCHI sama:** Welcome on board! Thanks for your answers, as I said I'll decide soon where to go.

**tactless n' loving it:** Well, you don't have to wait anymore, here it is ;) Thanks!

**penenelliepie:** Welcome on board and thanks for answering my questions. You'll see very soon where I'm going with the characters. Hope you'll still be out there then!

**roseyangel:** Thanks for your answers, too. Like I said before I'm not sure recruiting Logan for Manticore would be even possible althought imagining him working with Lydecker brings a very weird grin on my face :) And Wolf and Kyla, well, let's just say it's not gonna be easy.

Thanks a lot to all of you!!!

Char list:

**X5-494 aka Alec** Member of unit two and third in the chain of command. He has become sort the unit's unofficial leader as Wolf and Kyla often are on outside missions. He can be sort of a smart ass sometimes but he usually knows when to stop.

**X5-439 aka Artemis** Member of unit two. She's the sniper of her unit. Her rather calm and controlled self helps the others from getting out of hand too much. Like Wolf and Kyla she keeps her brown hair very short as she thinks it would hinder her otherwise.

**X5-526 aka Bear** Member of unit two. He's the biggest and strongest X5 in the unit and prefers heavy weapons. Nevertheless he's very gentle and almost never gets angry.

**X5-194 aka Blade** Member of unit two. The Asian woman is one of the few that could actually beat her CO or her 2IC in a hand-to-hand combat. She is almost obsessed with any sort of blades and usually tries not to use firearms.

**X5-367 aka Havoc** Member of unit two. The black haired and tanned transgenic is the unit's expert when it comes to explosives. He is almost as calm as 439 and is known for his subtle sense of humor.

**X5-210 aka Jondy** As children Max and Jondy had been in unit one and escaped together in '09. Jondy got caught by Lydecker months before Max and has joined unit two. She is loyal to Manticore and her unit but this doesn't mean she likes everybody around the base. Eventually she even refers to Lydecker that he 'can be an asshole sometimes'. Nevertheless she chose to stay out of her free will and hopes Max will be in her unit for she deeply cares about her younger sister.

**X5-301 aka Kyla** 2IC of unit two. Usually paired with Wolf during their missions. The two of them have the most experience throughout the X-series when it comes to combat missions and search and destroy and both of them are very well trained in close quarter combat and hand-to-hand fights.

**X5-258 aka Nitro** Member of unit two. The young blond man adores every sort of vehicle. He's one of the more unsettled X5.

**X5-154 aka Nova** The blond transgenic is the medic of unit two. She's one of the smallest X5 but nevertheless can take care of herself just fine. Other than that she's one of the X5 with the most experience in missions outside Manticore.

**X5-451 aka Wolf** CO of unit two and Max's genetic brother. His intense grey eyes and very short black hair clearly let him look like the soldier he is. Calm and almost always controlled his self-discipline and his knowledge about almost every kind of combat make him a very dangerous enemy.

* * *

"_Hello, Mister Cale_" To see Lydecker's face on the monitor alone almost made Logan feel sick_. "I really would like to talk to you in person but I'm afraid that won't be possible. To be honest, your little broadcasts made some of us feel quite worried and there has been some talk going on about eliminating you."_

Lydecker looked down at something Logan couldn't see before looking into the camera again.

"_While impressing your work has also been a major source of irritation to our operations, one we will not tolerate anymore. Let me show you, what I mean."_

The monitor became black for a few seconds and then another video started playing. It was showing Logan at his desk working on something. The disturbing thing was that this video had been taken through a sniper scope and the crosshairs were centered right on his head. After a few seconds the video ended and Lydecker appeared again.

"_I hope this has been clear enough. Now personally I would prefer to see you dead but unfortunately my superiors have decided that you might be useful in the future. But I hope for your sake you do understand what will happen if you ever again try to disturb Manticore or its operations."_

The video ended and Logan turned off his laptop. "Well, what do you think?"

"I think you have a problem" said the woman standing behind him.

"Thank you Asha, that's very constructive." It had been a week since the incident at the docks and his mood hadn't improved ever since. That video which had been the only thing on the disc Wolf had given him didn't help either.

"You don't understand." The blond woman shook her head and there was an almost accusing undertone in her voice. "Lydecker isn't the problem, Manticore isn't the problem and even those people knowing who you are isn't the problem. _You_ are! Ever since you started your search for Max you have been reacting. The Eyes Only I knew didn't react, he acted. That's why you have been so successful for years and that's also why the S1W still exists; our enemies never knew what we would do next, but you started to let them dictate your actions."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it: When has been the last time somebody got arrested because of one of your broadcasts?"

"It wasn't my primary intention anymore, Asha" he retorted. "We were going after Max and Manticore."

"That's not the point! In the past you chose who, when and how you would attack. You chose your target and your allies and it was you who made all the planning. Now you've started to do what other people order you to do. Where was your backup plan at the docks? How sure could you be you could trust those Red people? You even allow this little video to disturb you! In the past you would've shrugged and moved on."

Logan didn't answer and instead thought about her arguments. Asha finally shook her head.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, Logan, but if you are not back to your old self soon you will never be able to reach your goal! When you finally choose to forget about your personal problems and decide to become Eyes Only again, call me."

And with that she left leaving a very reflective Logan behind.

Logan thought about what his friend had said. It was unusual for her to sound so aggressive but he had to admit that she had some points there. Finding Max had been his only goal since the day she had vanished and he had spent every minute to find a way but in doing so he had forgotten to rely on his own strong points and instead had trusted in others, sometimes in people he didn't even know.

Sure, they'd had bad luck, too. According to Zack Manticore never sent more than two X5 on a recon mission and so the six Red Cell soldiers should have been more than enough. Logan shook his head. Eyes Only would have recognized that despite being an X5 himself Zack had been out of Manticore for a long time and things could've changed.

Then Johannessen had told him that his men had only seen one X5 leaving Manticore and entering Seattle. Eyes Only never had trusted in intel he hadn't double checked himself but Logan Cale did.

The more he thought about it the more disputable decisions he remembered and he finally understood why he had made all those mistakes: Since the day he had started his Eyes Only informant network he had never allowed his personal feelings to interfere with his actions as cyber-journalist.

Eyes Only didn't love Max but Logan Cale did and this was what he had forgotten until now. His worries about her had clouded his judgment and when he thought about it perhaps this had also been the case with Zack.

He sighed and looked around. The cheap apartment he had rented under a false name was nothing compared to his penthouse suite but perhaps it would be even better like that; back to the roots. He stood up and went to the small bathroom.

He kept looking at his unshaved reflection in the mirror for several minutes and had to admit that he didn't even look anymore like the Eyes Only Seattle's criminals once had feared. At this thought his gaze hardened and he made his decision.

It was time to become Eyes Only again!

* * *

"Look who's back!" Nova exclaimed when Kyla entered the barracks of her unit.

The whole unit two had been sitting in their briefing room studying the latest tactic reports but now quickly got up gathering around her, everyone smiling and welcoming her back. Kyla grinned happily having her friends around her but after the first wave of excitement had subsided she got aware of Wolf standing apart from the rest. She quickly hid her feelings and kept smiling and laughing to the jokes her teammates made about her having been under Cottle's thumb for so long.

Finally when the others had resumed their reading he approached her smiling calmly, clearly glad to see her but nothing more.

"It's good to have you back."

"It's good to be back."

The two looked at each other not knowing what to say. After a few seconds both chuckled a little bit embarrassed. What had happened in the infirmary had confused them both. When Wolf had woken up and felt her hand on his neck he had been confused. When he had tried to get up without waking Kyla she had opened her eyes and there had been a moment of awkward silence before she quickly took her hand away. Neither of them did fully understand what had happened and the looks Max and Alec gave him when he returned to his unit didn't help.

"You know", she began hesitantly, "what happened when you…"

"_Attention"_ Lydecker's loud voice from the speaker interrupted her. _"Unit two: Report to command, I repeat, unit two report to command!"_

The X5s left the room in silence; this was nothing new for them after all. Only Kyla hesitated for a few moments and Wolf noticed it immediately.

"Come on" he ordered her sharply his face a mask of perfect military control again. She quickly followed her teammates and successfully hid the emotions his harsh comment let her feel.

"Listen up" Lydecker began outright as soon as they had reached their destination. "Four hours ago a detachment of unit five operating near Chicago has contacted command stating that they've found something that could be considered as a high level thread. Before they could tell us what it was we lost contact. Since then we haven't heard anything from them. There were four X5 in that detachment."

The big monitor behind Lydecker came to live showing the photos of the four transgenics, two males and two females. Max recognized one of the women. It was X5-798 – Jace – who had chosen to stay behind in '09.

"Until confirmed otherwise the whole detachment is considered compromised. As the rest of unit five is currently deployed overseas unit two will take care of this mission. Search and rescue. You will leave in an hour and get more detailed information during your flight. Any questions?"

"Hostile activities?" Wolf asked coldly. There was no question somebody with a really bad temper had to be behind this. X5s didn't just vanish into thin air.

"Unknown but consider them to be very dangerous. Taking out four X5s usually means a lot of skill and firepower, that's why your whole unit is assigned to this mission. As soon as we get more accurate information you'll be the first to hear about it. Anything else?"

When none of the transgenics said anything Lydecker nodded grimly.

"Bring them home! Dismissed!"

* * *

_Meanwhile in an abandoned factory building outside Chicago_

"What are we doing with them?" a pale man in a dark suit asked.

"Nothing for now" the other one wearing a similar set of clothing answered looking coldly at the four unconscious prisoners tied to metal chairs. Well, three more accurately, one had stopped breathing some minutes ago. "Are you sure they didn't tell Manticore anything."

"Yes, we were able to jam their transmissions before anything got out."

"Good, I will contact the council. They must decide what to do with these rats! Try to find out what they know!"

"With pleasure."

* * *

The flight was uneventful and one would even call it boring but it gave the eleven transgenic soldiers enough time to read through what little information they had received before leaving Wyoming.

Apparently the four missing X5 had been on a recon mission in a small town outside Chicago. They had been looking for a wanted terrorist who was suspected to be part of a terrorist cell operating in the north of the United States when they had stumbled across something that seemed to be important enough to contact the Wyoming headquarters directly. And after that nothing.

Max sighed. They didn't know what the other team had found or what why they weren't able anymore to contact their superiors. In other words they were going in almost blind.

She shifted uncomfortably. She had become accustomed to the uniforms, even liked some of them but she would never understand how somebody could feel comfortable in one of those tactical vests. She glanced at Kyla who seemed to go through the reports, too, but Max didn't miss the other X5 glancing at Wolf who sat at the other end of the cabin from time to time. She watched the other transgenic for a while until she had enough.

"Okay, what's going on" she asked in a low voice so only Kyla would hear her.

"Huh?"

"Don't 'huh' me, Kyla, you've been acting weird all day."

"It's nothing" the other woman replied looking once again in Wolf's direction.

"I see", Max sighed, "what did my brother do this time?"

"What? He…" If she would have needed any sort of confirmation the look on Kyla's face would have been enough. "He didn't do anything!"

Max sighed again. "What was it? Was it about when he had slept in your room in the infirmary with his head on your mattress?"

"What? You saw that?"

"Yap. The two of you looked kind of cute."

"Oh, shut up, will you?" The short haired transgenic growled but looked more frustrated than ever. "It has been quite weird when we woke up and we haven't talked about it until today. When I came back to the barracks today I wanted to but then there was Lydecker. And after that he has always been so…I don't know."

"What?"

"Haven't you noticed? He only keeps barking orders at me and all that."

"Hasn't he always been like that when on missions?"

"Not like that. It's almost like he doesn't want to have me near him."

"But you would like to." It wasn't a question, Max knew the answer already. Kyla looked at her almost defensively.

"Like what?"

"Be near him. Come on, you know what I mean."

"I'm not sure. I think so", she admitted after a few seconds. She sounded sad. "But he doesn't."

Max had to restrain herself from laughing. She leaned forward.

"Kyla, everyone with still functioning eyes can see he does." Max grinned. "Hell, I think even Lydecker knows."

"Stop talking trash" the other X5 groaned looking almost depressed.

Before Max could answer Wolf's voice interrupted them.

"Okay, everybody suit up, we'll land in about fifteen minutes!"

Everybody started to move gathering their arms and equipment.

"As soon as we're home again I'll show you I'm right" Max whispered to Kyla before putting on her coat to hide the tactical vest. Kyla only looked at her with a mixture of disbelief and annoyance.

* * *

"Logan?" Original Cindy called out as soon as she had entered the apartment.

"Living room!"

She followed his voice and got aware of a sight she hadn't seen in months. There on the old and worn out couch sat Logan with the computer equipment he had been able to get from his old apartment installed all around him. He stared onto the monitor with a very concentrated expression and was talking into his headset.

"Yeah, thanks a lot, I owe you!" After that he terminated the connection and looked at OC with a sly grin. "Hey there!"

"Hey yourself" OC replied looking at him curiously. "What happened?"

"Why?"

"Well…" Of course she had heard what had happened at the docks and she knew Logan had been more depressed than ever. Ever since Max had been kidnapped he had been but after last week that man had almost been broken. The Logan Cale looking at her now looked almost like is old self. He smiled and that vivid spark in his eyes had returned. "You look better."

"I feel much better, too."

"No offense but: why?"

"Let's just say I had an epiphany" he answered and stood up.

"Care to explain?"

"I was thinking about Max all the time."

"So?" She couldn't imagine how thinking about her boo could have been the cause for their recent failure.

"While thinking about her I forgot that she is not our problem but the ones around her." He sighed and looked at OC. "We were too emotionally and lost our focus, Cindy, that's why we lost last time. I was only thinking about that I wanted her back but forgot thinking about how we would be able to reach that goal. I won't make that mistake again."

"You're kinda weird sometimes" Cindy stated after a few seconds but had to admit it sounded almost logical.

"I know" he grinned, "can't help it. Listen, could you do something for me? I promised Sebastian that he would have those data this evening. And I need you to go to Asha and give her this" he handed her a disc and a memory stick.

OC took the two items letting them disappear into one of her pockets.

"You know" she said faking exhaustion but grinning too, "you were much less bossy when you were depressed."

Logan looked at her suddenly being all serious again. "Cindy, I just wanted to thank you for sticking with me during all that time. I know I've been horrible to be around lately and I just want you to know that I'm very glad you're still here."

"Don't worry, Logan, this girl knows you're a good man inside" Cindy smiled. "You were acting quite strange lately, but well, everything for my boo, right?"

"Yeah, OC, everything for Max. Thank you!"

* * *

**Ok, I know, this has been rather quiet. Don't worry, they'll have enough problems soon.**

**Well, you know what to do to keep me updating ;)**


	19. Chapter 19

**Taeniaea:** Thanks again, Taeniaea!

**452max:** Part of the mission you'll find here but the more important part will be in the next chapter.

**tylee17:** Sorry, am I too fast for you? ;) Thanks for answering my questions, too, after this mission's over you'll never where I'm heading. You'll also see more about Logan and perhaps W/K, just be a little bit patient. Aw, damn! Me and my knowledge about the human human body *blush* thanks for pointing this one out for me!

**JOUNOUCHI sama:** Thanks to you, too. I've already thought about that but as I said to tylee, a little bit of patience and you will see *gg*

Okay, thanks to all of you and here we go again!

_______

Char list:

**X5-494 aka Alec** Member of unit two and third in the chain of command. He has become sort the unit's unofficial leader as Wolf and Kyla often are on outside missions. He can be sort of a smart ass sometimes but he usually knows when to stop.

**X5-439 aka Artemis** Member of unit two. She's the sniper of her unit. Her rather calm and controlled self helps the others from getting out of hand too much. Like Wolf and Kyla she keeps her brown hair very short as she thinks it would hinder her otherwise.

**X5-526 aka Bear** Member of unit two. He's the biggest and strongest X5 in the unit and prefers heavy weapons. Nevertheless he's very gentle and almost never gets angry.

**X5-194 aka Blade** Member of unit two. The Asian woman is one of the few that could actually beat her CO or her 2IC in a hand-to-hand combat. She is almost obsessed with any sort of blades and usually tries not to use firearms.

**X5-367 aka Havoc** Member of unit two. The black haired and tanned transgenic is the unit's expert when it comes to explosives. He is almost as calm as 439 and is known for his subtle sense of humor.

**X5-210 aka Jondy** As children Max and Jondy had been in unit one and escaped together in '09. Jondy got caught by Lydecker months before Max and has joined unit two. She is loyal to Manticore and her unit but this doesn't mean she likes everybody around the base. Eventually she even refers to Lydecker that he 'can be an asshole sometimes'. Nevertheless she chose to stay out of her free will and hopes Max will be in her unit for she deeply cares about her younger sister.

**X5-301 aka Kyla** 2IC of unit two. Usually paired with Wolf during their missions. The two of them have the most experience throughout the X-series when it comes to combat missions and search and destroy and both of them are very well trained in close quarter combat and hand-to-hand fights.

**X5-258 aka Nitro** Member of unit two. The young blond man adores every sort of vehicle. He's one of the more unsettled X5.

**X5-154 aka Nova** The blond transgenic is the medic of unit two. She's one of the smallest X5 but nevertheless can take care of herself just fine. Other than that she's one of the X5 with the most experience in missions outside Manticore.

**X5-451 aka Wolf** CO of unit two and Max's genetic brother. His intense grey eyes and very short black hair clearly let him look like the soldier he is. Calm and almost always controlled his self-discipline and his knowledge about almost every kind of combat make him a very dangerous enemy.

* * *

Max was beginning to feel frustrated. It had been three days since they arrived in Joliet, a small city near Chicago, and started their search for the missing X5. Since three days none of them had rested or even slept and it started to affect Alec, Nova, Havoc and Bear who didn't have any shark DNA and even the others didn't feel much better. Nevertheless her teammates didn't complain and only seemed to intensify their efforts. They'd split up to cover a larger ground. She was with Jondy and Blade. The three of them had checked on a possible lead but it had turned out that they had been running riot. Again.

It had been like that during the whole time. Although Joliet was not a big city it was by no means small. There were hundreds of possibilities where you could hide four transgenics. Unit two couldn't even be sure if the four X5 were still here or if somebody had brought them somewhere else. Sure, Manticore's tactical analysts thought that there hadn't been enough time to relocate four transgenics who certainly were not acting cooperative without anybody noticing it but they couldn't be sure. And of course it was also possible that the detachment of unit five was already dead.

"_All units, this is Alec."_ He had been paired up with Havoc and Nova and they were currently searching a sector about half a mile west to where Max was at the moment. He stated his exact position. "_I think we have found something. Request backup."_

"_How much backup?"_ Max heard Wolf's voice. During the last days it had become clear to her why he had been chosen CO of her unit; all X5 were designed to be natural leaders and act like officers and Manticore had done a great job there, but Wolf was different. He didn't need to yell at his subordinates to get them to do what he wanted; when he talked with his CO face on everybody around him listened. His voice was stern, but not loud, his posture and body language made it clear to anyone that he was in charge. His planning was simple but effective, his way of communication direct. If one of his team members made a proposition he listened calmly but in the end it was him who decided and he did it a way none of the others felt insulted or left-out.

They were a team, they tried to reach their goal and accomplished their mission together but it was clear to anyone that he was the team leader.

The only person who he allowed to scrutinize his decisions was Kyla and even she didn't do it often and when she did she waited until the two of them were alone. It had been two days ago when Max had overheard one of these conversations by accident.

"_I don't think we should spread out the teams so far, Wolf, they will be too far away from each other to provide help if necessary."_

"_We need to. We must cover a larger ground if we want to find them soon. I know what you want to say" he added quickly before she could add anything, "but I think the risk is justifiable and that's a final, understood?"_

"_Understood."_

Neither of them had sounded defiant or bossy, they were just a CO and his 2IC trying to find out how the mission could be accomplished best but never losing the respect for each other's abilities. Max began to understand why they worked together so well when just the two of them were on a mission.

"_As much as possible."_ Alec's answer to Wolf's question surprised her. The sometimes cocky X5 wasn't somebody who asked for help very often.

"_Roger, hold your position, we'll be with you soon!"_ Wolf ordered. _"All units, all units, this is Wolf. Rally point at Alec's position, I repeat: Rally point at Alec's position. You have fifteen minutes!"_

"_Got it"_, Kyla's voice sounded calm as usual.

"Wilco" Jondy confirmed. She had been given command of their team and Max could tell her sister appreciated the trust Wolf showed towards her with this decision. She glanced at Blade who was driving. "You know where to go?"

"Hey, I'm not Nitro but that doesn't mean I don't know how to drive a car" the Asian X5 retorted while accelerating.

"Just like to be there on time" Jondy grinned, "I don't want to miss the party."

After four minutes they came to a checkpoint but the sector police quickly let them pass when Jondy flashed them her pass which identified all of them as military spec ops. They often had used their false identities as a special operations group during the last few days and Max had to admit that it was quite handy. No dumb questions.

When they arrived at the coordinates they could already see the rest of the team waiting for them at the corner of an old house. Around them they could see the rest of what had been a growing industry before the pulse. Now the factories around them were all abandoned and some had started to derelict already. They didn't see any people although when looking around the signs of the drug traffic and other illegal things that took place there at night could not be missed.

"Okay, Alec" Wolf began when they had gathered together. "What do you have?"

"We were talking to some of the homeless around here and heard something about a bunch of strange people being around since a few weeks." For a change Alec was totally serious. "We followed a tip we got from one of them and came here. You see that old factory building down the road, the one with the red doors?"

Wolf peeked around the corner. "Yeah. So what? I can't see anything."

"Look closer. The window next to the fire escape, third level."

Wolf did as told. The building was quite far away but it was no problem for his transgenic sight. His pupil dilated and suddenly he could see what Alec was talking about; behind the dirty window was a man looking through something that almost looked like a camera but he recognized immediately what it was. The X5 disappeared behind the corner again before that look-out would see him.

"Why is somebody using thermal image equipment in this part of town?" he mused looking at the other transgenics and they suddenly all had a predatory smile on their lips. It seemed like they finally found their target.

"It's not gonna be easy" Alec warned them. "We checked it and there are look-outs on each side of the building and at least one guard on the roof. Unless we find a way to get in underground I can't see how we should get there without being noticed."

Wolf seemed to think about it for some seconds and looked around. Suddenly he chuckled and looked at Jondy with a very nasty smirk on his face.

"What?" the brown haired X5 said looking suspiciously at her CO. "Wolf, why are you grinning like that?"

"I think I just found out how we'll get into that building. I hope you're in for some shopping, Jondy."

"Why do I already know I'm not gonna like this?"

* * *

"You gotta be out your mind!" Zack hissed at Logan but the cyber-journalist returned his glare calmly.

"Not at all, Zack. It is our only chance to get her back. You saw how she reacted at the docks; do you want that to happen again?"

"And you think attacking Manticore will solve our problems? You are crazy!"

"Zack, wait", one of the other transgenics – Syl – spoke. "I want to hear what he has to say."

Logan nodded towards her and briefly looked at the five transgenics in the room. Zack had kept his word and contacted the other '09 escapees. A day ago he had called Logan and they agreed to meet.

Zack, Syl, Krit, Zane and even Tinga had come. For the latter it had been extremely difficult to come without her husband getting suspicious but somehow she'd managed it. It had been a shock for all of them to hear that Max was back at Manticore but when trying to reach Jondy Zack even had to learn that she most probably had been caught, too. He had been furious and felt more than ever that he had failed in his mission to protect his unit and his mood hadn't improved yet, he still was aggressive and all in all in a bad temper.

Syl and Krit on the other side had been upset, too, about hearing their two sisters being back in the hole they had escaped a decade ago but they had calmed down quickly and were now trying to figure out what to do next. Tinga had been the most kind towards Logan from the start not distrusting him at all just because he was an ordinary human. Perhaps this was because the exotic-looking X5 was married and had a little son.

Zane had been quiet most of the time. His attentive eyes almost never left Logan when the cyber-journalist talked but he didn't appear to distrust him, it was just the fact that Zane had never been one to talk much. He observed, listened and only spoke when he was absolutely sure it was necessary and he had all the information he needed.

It was strange to have five highly trained super soldiers in your living room but for what Logan had in mind they were just perfect.

"Thank you" he said to Syl before continuing. "Okay, listen. The main reason why we lost last time is because we weren't acting proactive. We waited for Manticore to make the next step and then reacted."

"You said that already!" Zack snapped.

"And you weren't listening!" Logan mentally shook his head. Sometimes this X5 really gave him a hard time. "We had no backup plan, we didn't know where exactly the action would take place, we relied on the Red Cell whose intentions we didn't know either and so on. In other words: We were almost blind. Attacking Manticore itself is something they do not expect and that's why it will work."

"You are crazy!" Zack exclaimed again. "Even if your friend Sebastian is not right and there are no new X-series there are at least between sixty and eighty X5 on that base, probably even more. That's suicide! We won't do that!"

"Perhaps I will." Zane's voice was calm and he looked at Logan clearly interested. It seemed like this ordinary wasn't talking about something he hadn't thought through.

"Oh no, Zane, you won't!"

"Shut up, Zack!" For the first time Zane sounded annoyed and he looked at his brother warningly. "We're not your unit and you're not my CO! You're not at Manticore anymore and I have stopped taking orders ten years ago, understood?"

Everybody was looking at him and the transgenics – most of all Zack – seemed to be shocked; Zane had never been one to defy authority. Only Syl was grinning slightly.

"Attacking the Wyoming facility is suicide, even with the surprise on our side we won't be able to take on every guard and the black ops stationed there", Zack tried to explain. "And I'm not even talking about the X-series yet."

"That's why we won't be going against all of them" Krit said trying to ease the tension a little bit and then looked at Logan. "Right?"

"Exactly" Logan replied and looked gratefully at the tanned X5. "I have been thinking about how we would be able to split up their forces without even firing a single shot. Now, rumor has it that I don't know much about the military and its tactics but I'm quite sure about this one: What would happen if Lydecker thinks that there was an attack about to happen?"

"The guards would be alerted and every X-unit would take defensive positions around the base" Syl answered not understanding at first what Logan was trying to say when it suddenly dawned on her and she started grinning. "Oh, now I get it. Sneaky!"

"Am I the only one who doesn't understand what you're talking about?" Tinga demanded to know feeling a little bit left out. Syl grinned at her sister but Krit who finally understood as well what Logan's plan was answered first:

"Do you remember what happened when those two hunters came too close to the facility in '08?"

"Of course" Tinga answered. That night had been fun – well, at least the sort of fun she had known back then. "All hell broke loose and we chased them down. I had not seen somebody so scared before."

"Right, now imagine how Lydecker would react if he doesn't just see an ordinary hunter with his rifle near his precious base but instead…"

"One of us" Zane finished the sentence and nodded with a small smile.

"No offense" Zack interrupted, "but how is this gonna help us?"

"One of you will have to show himself to the guards, let them discover who you are" Logan explained. "After that Lydecker will be alerted and if we are lucky one of the rest of you who will be hidden around the base will spot Max and Jondy. So, when we know which positions they go to in case of an alarm we wait about two weeks until we repeat our little game again but this time you will already be waiting for them when they come and try to man their position. I think with the surprise effect on your side you should be able to take out the other X5 and capture Max and Jondy."

"It's a good plan" Krit finally said. "Risky, but possible."

"How are we gonna take them out?" Syl asked. "The rest of their unit, I mean. I know, they are Lydecker's drones but I will not kill them if I don't have to, we would be the very same if we hadn't escaped."

The others nodded except for Zack who looked at her not really happy with that comment; like Max Syl had apparently forgotten that she was a soldier but he wasn't about to argue with her about that now.

"I don't know yet, perhaps we can use tazers or some other kind of non-lethal weapon, we'll see about that." Logan looked at the five transgenics. "We still have time. We will need to do some recon first. We must to know exactly what we're going up against this time. No offense, I know you've been there before but it has been a long time."

They all nodded in agreement, even Zack. He didn't like Logan – not at all – and in his personal opinion he was one of the main reasons Max got caught in the first place but he had to admit the man had skills.

"Well, I suggest we start packing then." Tinga grinned. "It's a long way to Gilette."

* * *

"I swear to god if you ever tell anybody about this you're a dead man!" Jondy growled.

"Why not?" Bear was wearing jeans and a dark blue jacket and was grinning from ear to ear. "You look good!"

The female X5 growled again and shot him a glance that would have intimidated even the Colonel but Bear just continued grinning. She had known she wouldn't like Wolf's plan when he had looked at her earlier that day but this was just too much.

She was wearing knee-length black boots, a very short black skirt and a blood red belly top. In addition she had put on some make-up and eye liner. Blade had found her a red purse and to make the cover perfect Max had even painted her nails. In red.

It was night and they were standing behind the same corner like that afternoon but this time the two of them were alone, the rest of the team was waiting hidden in the shadows for them to complete their mission.

"_Jondy, Bear"_ she suddenly heard Wolf's voice in her ear. _"Ready?"_

"All clear" was the male X5's answer.

"Sure" Jondy growled. "But you better hope this is gonna work or you'll pay for forcing me to dress up like this for nothing!"

"_All in the name of god and country"_ her CO answered in a serious voice but she could practically hear him grin. _"Everybody else ready?_

She heard the others voicing their affirmatives over the wireless.

"_Okay then, Jondy, Bear, let's start the show!"_

Jondy looked at the tall X5 at her side and sighed heavily. "I'm never gonna live that one down. Come on!"

She linked arms with him and they rounded the corner walking casually towards the factory building. During the day this part of town had been abandoned but now they could see a few people from time to time, most of them probably drug dealers who waited for their clients and also some women dressed similar to Jondy, prostitutes hoping for a john.

One of the shady men whistled at Jondy but Bear glared warningly at him and the other one backed off.

"_You look good, Jondy"_ Artemis suddenly said. The sniper was somewhere behind them watching the building and the look-out on the third floor through her scope.

"Oh, you're so gonna pay for this" Jondy groaned. "All of you."

She could hear the other woman chuckle before she became dead-serious again. _"The look-out has spotted you, he's talking to someone over wireless. Shall I take him out?"_

"_Negative!"_ That was Wolf again. _"We need Jondy and Bear taking care of him without alarming the rest."_

"You really know where you are going, suga?" Jondy said when the two X5 approached the building looking at Bear seductively. "I know better places to go, you know?"

"I'm in a hurry" he grumbled. "And besides that we have everything we need in there. I know the place. Have been working there."

They had reached the factory building and Bear tried to open the front door. Locked. Of course!

"_The look-out has left his post, he's probably on his way to you"_ Artemis announced.

Very good, Jondy thought, half of their job was done.

"Which idiot has locked the goddamned door again" he growled faking anger. They had expected that and were prepared. While he started working on the door with his picklock Jondy chirped.

"You know, we could go to a hotel. I know one which isn't far away from here."

"Be quiet, honey" he seemingly interrupted her when the door opened. It had taken him about as much time an ordinary person would need to open the door with a key. "I said I know the place. Come on, it's not that bad."

The two of them entered and suddenly were face-to-face with a pair of guns which were pointed right at their heads.

"Woah!" Bear gasped like he was frightened. Jondy pressed herself against him looking intimidated.

"Please", she whispered, "don't hurt us!"

"What are you doing here?" one of the two men holding the guns asked coldly. They both wore dark suits and could almost have been brothers from what they were looking. None of them was injured but they had a smell of blood on them. Bingo!

"I just came here to…well…uhm…" Bear started and looked at Jondy with an embarrassed expression.

"You're a whore?" one of them asked looking at her. She nodded after a second of hesitation and the two men relaxed a little bit lowering their guns.

"We are sorry if we have scared you." His voice was cold and emotionless. "This is government property, you must leave now."

"Of course, of course" Bear agreed hastily. "Come on."

"You are from the government?" Jondy said smiling and taking a few steps towards them. "Cute."

"Ma'am, stay back" one of them ordered and both men tensed up a little bit.

"What? You don't like me? She looked at them innocently. "Somehow a girl has to make a living."

"We're not into that kind of…amusement" one of them said and looked at her with disgust.

"Oh, that doesn't matter", she still smiled. The former construction hall was huge and it had taken the two X5 some time to scan it completely without the two morons before them noticing it but now Jondy was sure there was nobody else around. She reached into her purse. "But perhaps you'll like what I have in here?"

In the blink of an eye her smile vanished and her eyes suddenly were cold as ice. Without hesitation she squeezed the trigger of her gun two times. The silencer made sure nobody would hear the shots and the two suits never knew what hit them. They were dead before they hit the floor.

"You know" Jondy said with a stone-cold voice dropping the now useless purse, "I'm not into group jobs at all.

"Remember me that I never anger you when you're armed" Bear said and despite his words looked at her seriously. That girl had come back from the outside not even a year ago and she was already acting as efficiently as almost any X5 who had spent his whole life in Manticore. "Bear to all units: The lobby is clear!"

Outside eight figures in black battle dresses and tactical vests left the shadows they'd been hiding in and quickly slipped into the building.

"Good work" Wolf said when he saw the two dead bodies. It bothered him that the whole thing was going on so easy. If they were right those men had kidnapped or killed four transgenics after all, he'd expected more resistance. But then again: Nobody was fast enough to avoid a bullet, even if they'd been X5 they wouldn't have survived Jondy's attack. "Nitro, Jondy, Bear: Secure this room! It is our fallback position and it stays ours at all cost. Kyla, Alec, Max and Havoc, search the basement, Blade and Nova, you're with me, we search this floor first and then take care of the other look-outs. If you encounter anything do not engage if not absolutely necessary. Wait until the rest of the team is with you, you got that?"

Everybody nodded.

"Okay, Artemis, something out there?"

"_Nothing, everything's quiet"_ the female sniper answered.

"Good, questions?" Nobody spoke up. "Move out!"

* * *

**So, not really much new here except for Eyes Only finally making his next move.**

**Drop me a review and I drop an update (subtle, I know *gg*)**


	20. Chapter 20

And another one. I know, I just have too much time at my hands *gg*

This one's a unit two chapter, I didn't forget about the others but I want to have this one finished.

Read and enjoy!

* * *

Max was moving cautiously behind Kyla. Until now they had searched about half of the basement and so far they had found nothing. Since about two minutes she could tell the smell of blood had become more intense and she knew they would encounter some sort of problem soon. She had been looking forward to see Jace again. The girl had been the only one who had refused to escape in '09 and although Max had never fully understood that she was looking forward to talk to her sister again. Although at the moment she was more hoping that they would find the four missing X5 before it was too late. X5 sense of smell was good but they were no bloodhounds: That they smelled the blood already meant that there had to be a lot of it. That thought alone let her grip around the P90 in her hands harden a little bit. She still didn't like firearms but she knew it was sometimes necessary to use them.

She glanced over her shoulder to Havoc who was the last in their group and Alec who was right behind her and flashed her a reassuring smile when he saw she was looking at him. Max would probably never fully understand the male X5; usually he was cocky and arrogant but in situations like these he was just as serious as the rest of the team and she knew he was a very capable soldier. She smiled back before returning her attention to Kyla. The woman who had taken point of their small group approached the next door and Max could already hear there was somebody in the room. She heard voices and movements but she couldn't understand what the persons in there were talking about. Kyla signaled them to stop and opened the door slowly trying not to make a sound. She quickly peeked inside the room before she closed it again.

"Kyla to all units" she whispered into her throat microphone, "We are in the basement, sixth room. Targets located but there are hostiles, too. Orders?"

"_Hold your position! We'll be with you in ninety seconds."_

"Wilco."

The whole group rested motionless until Wolf arrived with Blade and Nova in tow.

'Four targets' Kyla signaled silently and pointed to the door, 'Seven hostiles. Armed.'

Wolf nodded and quickly signaled his orders to the six X5 looking at him. When everybody was ready they got into position, Wolf taking point. He was the team leader and expected from his subordinates to do something extremely dangerous so he would be the first to barge into that room. The seven X5 stood so close behind each other their bodies touched; it was a simple trick they had learned during their first lessons in close quarter combat: if you can feel the man behind you you won't feel alone and so you won't hesitate when you have to storm a room.

When Wolf felt that his team was ready he opened the door and rushed into the room. Once inside he aimed at the first of the seven men standing around. Just when he pulled the trigger he saw a movement out of the corner of his eyes and something hit him in the side with terrible force and threw him against the wall. His gun went off but the bullet missed its target and suddenly the whole room was in terrible turmoil.

The six X5 poured into the room as well and opened fire but their enemies moved faster than anything they had ever encountered before, avoiding their shots with almost perfect efficiency not even trying to reach for their own weapons as they apparently knew it was a futile attempt and would only cost them time. Instead the eight men charged the seven transgenic soldiers with looks of cold hatred in their eyes. Only Kyla and Havoc managed to kill two of them before they clashed with the young X5 and they suddenly found themselves in the most uncompromising hand-to-hand fights they'd ever encountered.

Max had aimed at one their enemies but he kicked the gun out of her hands and the bullets ricocheted off the wall. During the next thirty seconds Max was more than glad for Blade's training. The man attacked her so fast and without hesitation that she was barely able to block his attacks until finally all the things Blade had taught her came back to her mind. They kept fighting but Max managed to score some hits, too, but nevertheless she felt how her body quickly became exhausted and she was asking herself how long she'd be able to keep up that speed when she suddenly noticed another X5 appearing behind her opponent. She almost smiled. Blade. The Asian X5 jumped at the man Max had been fighting with a grim determination in her eyes and Max knew she could pick another target already.

Wolf on the other hand barely had time to get back on his feet before the one that had standing next to the door and though had not been seen by Kyla attacked him again. Despite looking like an ordinary human that man fought with and agility and speed Wolf had never seen before except when sparing with one of his fellow X5. And he was incredibly strong. Several times his attacker broke through his defenses and his blows and kicks were powerful enough to let the transgenic wince in pain. Finally he managed to dodge a blow and his counterattack hit his adversary above the right eye. The man stumbled and Wolf took his chance: he hit his enemy against the throat with all the force he had and out of instinct the man bent forward making a choking sound when his body realized it had been critically injured. Wolf took him into a headlock and with a jerk broke his neck.

Breathing heavily he let the dead body of his enemy fall to the ground and looked around for another target but there was none anymore; every one of the eight men lay dead on the ground.

"Now that's why I'm all into knives, bastard!" Blade growled but sounding just as exhausted as Wolf felt and yanked her battle knife from her last enemy's corpse before standing up.

Wolf looked around. The battle had only lasted for perhaps forty or fifty seconds but it had been one of the hardest he'd ever fought. Havoc was lying in a corner of the room unconscious with Nova at his side carefully trying to wake him up, Alec was trying to stand up with Max's help still looking quite dizzy and having a very nasty looking laceration on his forehead and the rest of his team didn't look much better. Hell, he knew he wasn't himself; his whole body hurt and he knew that if there had only been one or two more of those men in this room this battle would probably have turned out worse.

"Nova, how's Havoc?" he wanted to know.

"He'll live" the unit's medic answered. Havoc had opened his eyes and moaned in pain.

He nodded and turned towards the five X5 sitting tied to metal chairs in the middle of the room. "Untie them, Alec, secure the door!"

Upon hearing his orders once again the seven X5 changed from a bunch of exhausted and hurt people to an organized group of soldiers. Within seconds the four prisoners were untied and carefully laid on the floor. Three of them didn't move at all, only one moaned barely audible with her eyes half-closed.

"Bear, Nitro, Jondy" he spoke into his throat micro. "We found the targets but had hostile contact. If you encounter anybody, do not let them come near you, you understand?"

"_What do you mean, not let them come near us?"_ That was Bear.

"They almost kicked our collective asses" Wolf tried to explain. "Don't ask me questions now, I don't know why but those guys are tough, you get it?"

"_Positive."_ Bear still sounded worried. _"Anything else?"_

"No, Wolf over and out." He cut the connection and turned towards his team again. "Nova?"

The blond medic had left Havoc's side who looked more awake by the minute and took care of the four X5 of unit five. They looked horrible. Their faces were swollen, they had blood on their clothes and where they had been tied to the chairs their ankles and wrists showed deep wounds from the restraints. Wolf couldn't help but think about Max when he had found her in PsyOps.

"Oh my god, Jace" his sister suddenly whispered bending over one of the female transgenics, the one that was partly conscious – X5-798.

"Max?"

She briefly looked at him and gulped hard. "She was in my unit before '09."

He only nodded. This was not the time to discuss her behavior. "Nova?"

"798 will live. If we bring him to a hospital we might be able to safe him, too" she nodded towards one of the unmoving male X5. "But the others…they're dead, have been for hours perhaps. I'm sorry."

Hearing this let a wave of hot anger rush through his body but he managed to control himself. They had to get out of there and fast. They hadn't had enough time to take care of all the other look-outs and if only one of them called in reinforcements they were in trouble. He still didn't know who those men were or why they were able to take on an X5 in a hand-to-hand combat and he wasn't eager to find out at all. All that mattered was that they had found the missing transgenics.

"Okay, we move out. Max, you take 798, Alec, Havoc and Nova, you carry the others, clear?" Everybody nodded. "Okay, let's go."

Much faster than before they made their way back to where Jondy, Nitro and Bear were waiting for them. Jace was still only semi-conscious and Max more dragged her than she walked out of her own strength. She could only imagine what her sister had to endure during the last days when looking at her and the sight of her beaten up face pained her and remembered her of her time in PsyOps. Why did people do such things? How could they?

Suddenly they heard gunfire from where they had left back the others.

"_You guys hurry!"_ they heard Jondy shouting over wireless. _"We have visitors!"_

"Coming!" Wolf replied sprinting towards where the shots were coming from with Kyla and Blade right behind him. They others tried to keep up but where slower due to the wounded and dead they had to carry. "How many?"

"_Don't know!"_ came the pressed answer. _"Aah!!"_

The three X5 reached the big construction hall where they had left Jondy and the two others. Without hesitation they stormed into the room. Her three teammates were defending their position near the door against at least half a dozen men in the same suits like the ones they had encountered earlier and it was clear that they were not only good when it came to a hand-to-hand fight but they also knew how to handle automatic weapons; Jondy, Bear and Nitro were pretty much pinned down and had nowhere to go. The sudden appearance of Wolf, Kyla and Blade changed that.

With their first volley the forced their enemies to take cover.

"RETREAT!" Wolf shouted when the others with the wounded and dead member of unit five arrived. They covered them until they'd left the building. It pained Max to leave her teammates behind like that but she knew she could not help them now, not with the almost unconscious Jace in her arms. As soon as she was out of the building she heard her brother shout: "GO! GO! GO!"

With movements trained for years the six transgenics still in the building began to run towards the door, some of them providing cover while the others moved. Just when Blade made her move she suddenly cried out and fell to the floor with a bullet in her left shoulder. Bear jumped up from his cover and dragged her out the door. Wolf gritted his teeth and sent another volley towards the man who had gotten his lucky shot forcing him to take cover again.

"Wolf!" Kyla shouted behind him. "Move goddammit!"

He sent a last volley towards his enemies before jumping up and running out of the door. Once outside he saw that his team had already started to retreat further and he quickly joined them. They ran until they reached the spot behind the corner of the building where Jondy and Bear had waited before. Their enemies did not pursue them for whatever reasons and Wolf was glad about that.

He quickly looked around. Max and Alec were with the two members of unit five who made it this far alive, Nova was already taking care of Blade who made a pained face but didn't seem to be injured badly, Jondy had a nasty gash on her left cheek, probably from some shrapnel or grazing shot and the rest of his team looked a little bit beaten up but otherwise okay. Nitro was the last to join them.

"Dammit" he shouted with a grin on his face. "I can't believe we actually made it out of there!"

Just when he was about to round the corner his body suddenly jerked and he stopped dead in his tracks. About half a second later Wolf heard the shot.

"Sniper!" he called out and everyone ducked for cover. A second later there was another shot.

"_Got him!"_ Artemis announced. _"Sniper down."_

Wolf stood up again and looked at Nitro. The X5 was still standing there like rooted to the spot and there was blood on the front of his vest. His facial expression was a mixture of surprise and pain. Slowly like he was drunk he stumbled towards Wolf and the CO caught his soldier preventing him from falling and instead laid him down almost gently.

"Man down!" Max's brother shouted and in the blink of an eye Nova was at his side.

"Let go of him! Wolf! Let go!" She pushed him back almost violently and then ripped Nitro's vest and t-shirt open. Blood was flowing all over his chest. "Crap, it went right trough him. Max, get over here!"

In an instant Max was at her side while the others cared about the wounded and secured the surrounding area.

"Here, take this" Nova said and gave her some sort of bandage. "Press it on his wound!"

Max did as told and in an instant she felt her teammate's blood on her hands. He looked pale and almost like he was going to pass out any second. Nova grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him around to take a look at the entry wound in his back. She cursed and pulled out another bandage and tried to stop the blood loss before laying him down again.

"Nova" Max whispered, "we're losing him."

She wasn't able to stop the blood loss, the hole in his chest was just too big and he got weaker and weaker by the second.

"No, we're not!" the team's medic growled defiantly. "You hear me, you overactive idiot? You're not gonna die tonight, got it? Wolf, we need a med-evac, now!"

"Not possible, Manticore has nothing around here!" he sounded as desperate as Max felt and wasn't able to look away from his dying teammate.

"If he doesn't get into surgery very soon he's dead!" the blond medic shouted angrily.

"Stop arguing" Kyla interrupted them. "We've got visitors."

They all looked up for a second expecting another welcoming party from their new friends but instead they heard the sound of several sirens coming closer and saw the distant flash of lights.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Alec whispered almost in awe. "The goddamned police!"

"Pray that they've got an ambulance, too" Wolf growled. When the first cars arrived he stepped out from his cover and marched towards the police officers who excited their cars and swarmed out.

"Freeze!" one of them shouted upon seeing the young man with a gun approaching. "Chicago sector police!"

"Captain Jason Everson!" Wolf shouted back holding his false pass in his hand. "United States Army!"

Suspiciously the officer looked at his papers but finally nodded and lowered his gun glancing at the group of young soldiers behind the one he was talking to at the moment. His colleagues relaxed as well. "Sergeant Eric Myers. What happened here?"

"I will be happy to tell you later, sergeant, but right now I need you to secure that building" he knew if their enemies were still there the officers would probably not stand a chance against the mysterious men but he needed to secure as much evidence as he could and there were more officers around than X5, "and call in an ambulance, I've got wounded."

"On it, sir" Myers nodded and began talking into his radio. "This is Myers, I need an ambulance. I've got a military unit here with injured persons."

"NO!" Wolf spun around when he heard Nova's desperate cry and was back at her side in a second. She had already started performing CPR on Nitro. The young man lay motionless on the ground with his eyes closed. He wasn't breathing anymore. Slowly the whole unit left their positions and gathered around their comrade. Nobody said a word. After about ten minutes it was clear that their friend – their brother – was dead. Max had taken her hands away from the wound in Nitro's chest and there was almost no blood flowing from it anymore and his whole body looked unnaturally pale. But still Nova was frantically trying to reanimate him. Wolf carefully laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Let me!" she hissed not stopping.

"Nova" he said softly.

"No! I can do this!" she insisted with tears in her eyes.

"Nova" he repeated. "Stop. He's gone."

At his words she suddenly stopped and her whole body trembled. Looking around he saw incredulous and shocked expressions on the faces of every X5. They all looked at Nitro not believing what they were seeing. Except for Wolf and Kyla none of them had ever seen an X5 die in combat and having the proof even they could be killed right before their eyes was enough to even shock the highly trained killing-machines.

"Captain Everson?" a low voice asked from behind him. Wolf slowly turned around to see Sergeant Myers with two other officers. The man looked from Nitro to Wolf. "The ambulance will arrive in a few minutes. Was he…was he your man?"

"More. A friend." Wolf sighed heavily trying to push back the emotions he began to feel. "Listen, I still have wounded and I need you to arrange a transport to the hospital for all of us."

"Of course, our reinforcements are already on their way."

"Good. You found anything in there already?"

"No, but we've only started to secure the building. Anything else?"

"Not for the moment."

Myers nodded and was about to return to his car, when he suddenly stopped and looked at the soldiers before him. They were young, he noticed, very young and almost all of them looked at their fallen friend in shock.

"Captain?" he said to the one who apparently was the leader. "I'm sorry…for your loss."

The younger man nodded and Myers finally turned away walking to his car and the other officers. Meanwhile Wolf took out his cell phone and dialed a number he knew by heart. He didn't have to wait long until somebody answered the phone. "Colonel, this is 451. We…we have sustained losses."

* * *

**Yeah, I know, sometimes I can be quite a *******.**

**However, this is what happens to soldiers sometimes as hard as it sounds and I didn't do it just because I wanted. There's almost always a plan behind my actions.**

**Anyway, please tell me what you think.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Divine Fighter:** As I said earlier already, thanks for your review. You'll get more about unit one in the next chapter.

**Taeniaea:** Well, sorry, I had to choose one of them. Still thank you for the review!

**452max:** As I said, sorry about Nitro, but it had to happen. Thanks.

**JOUNOUCHI sama:** There are just some of you who wants to see unit one getting their ***** kicked hm *gg* we'll see about that later. Thank you.

**roseyangel:** Yeah, who were those people? You're gonna find out soon, don't worry. About what you said concerning Max: You're only two chapters too early. Hm, probably I have to get faster? No, seriously, she will have contact with Logan and her siblings from unit one soon and there I will try to give some explanations and show Max's POV. Hope you'll stay with me until then. Thanks to you, too!

Okay, here we go again. Read and enjoy!

**************

char list

X5-154 aka Nova The blond transgenic is the medic of unit two. She's one of the smallest X5 but nevertheless can take care of herself just fine. Other than that she's one of the X5 with the most experience in missions outside Manticore. Has no shark DNA.

X5-194 aka Blade Member of unit two. The Asian woman is one of the few that could actually beat her CO or her 2IC in a hand-to-hand combat. She is almost obsessed with any sort of blades and usually tries not to use firearms. Has no shark but snake DNA.

X5-210 aka Jondy As children Max and Jondy had been in unit one and escaped together in '09. Jondy got caught by Lydecker months before Max and has joined unit two. She is loyal to Manticore and her unit but this doesn't mean she likes everybody around the base. Eventually she even refers to Lydecker that he 'can be an asshole sometimes'. Nevertheless she chose to stay out of her free will and hopes Max will be in her unit for she deeply cares about her younger sister.

X5-258 aka Nitro Member of unit two. The young blond man adores every sort of vehicle. He's one of the more unsettled X5. KIA after the first encounter of his unit with the breeding cult.

X5-301 aka Kyla 2IC of unit two. Usually paired with Wolf during their missions. The two of them have the most experience throughout the X-series when it comes to combat missions and search and destroy and both of them are very well trained in close quarter combat and hand-to-hand fights.

X5-367 aka Havoc Member of unit two. The black haired and tanned transgenic is the unit's expert when it comes to explosives. He is almost as calm as 439 and is known for his subtle sense of humor. Has no shark DNA.

X5-439 aka Artemis Member of unit two. She's the sniper of her unit. Her rather calm and controlled self helps the others from getting out of hand too much. Like Wolf and Kyla she keeps her brown hair very short as she thinks it would hinder her otherwise.

X5-451 aka Wolf CO of unit two and Max's genetic brother. His intense grey eyes and very short black hair clearly let him look like the soldier he is.

X5-494 aka Alec Member of unit two and third in the chain of command. He has become sort the unit's unofficial leader as Wolf and Kyla often are on outside missions. He can be sort of a smart ass sometimes but he usually knows when to stop. Has no shark DNA.

X5-526 aka Bear Member of unit two. He's the biggest and strongest X5 in the unit and prefers heavy weapons. Nevertheless he's very gentle and almost never gets angry. Has no shark DNA.

X5-734 aka Brin After her return to Manticore she underwent a very brutal reindoctrination which left her brainwashed and only partly able to make independent decisions. She has been under Director Renfro's command until Renfro had to leave the Wyoming facility. Currently Brin's not part of a unit but assigned to where she's needed.

X5-798 aka Jace She was the only one staying behind during the '09 escape out of her free will. She's currently a member of unit five.

* * *

Max was looking at her hands while sitting on a chair outside the intensive care unit where they had brought Jace and her unconscious teammate about two hours ago. All around her was her team except for Havoc and Nova who guarded the morgue and Wolf. Manticore couldn't risk losing an X5, even if it was only his body so after all of them had gotten a minimal treatment they had gathered here. Most of her friends were quiet except for Kyla and Blade who had her shoulder in a bandage but otherwise looked okay. The two women kept talking to Artemis but the sniper didn't seem to listen and kept looking down on the floor. She blamed herself for not having seen the other sniper earlier and thought Nitro's death was her fault. Of course it wasn't but convincing the female X5 of that fact proved to be a difficult task.

Max just kept looking at her hands. They were perfectly clean; she'd been washing and rubbing them under the hot water until the skin had been red. Still she felt dirty somehow; until this evening she hadn't known blood could be so sticky.

She knew she wasn't acting like the soldier she was supposed to be but she didn't care and neither did the others. If those men in suits would have attacked at that moment she doubted they would have been able to fight them off but that wasn't important at the moment. They had lost Nitro, a friend and a brother. They were grieving and none of them wanted anything to disturb them at the moment.

Even the people around them could feel it. The hospital staff, the nurses and doctors kept their distance from them if possible and were as quiet as possible. It wasn't for the fact those strange young soldiers kept standing there with their arms and equipment still on, it was the coldness of their grief and anger radiating from them that kept the ordinaries away.

When somebody sat down on the chair next to her she looked up. Alec eyed her for a few moments with the same dull sadness in his eyes she felt inside herself.

"How are you feeling?" he finally asked quietly.

She made a choking sound biting back a bitter laugh but didn't answer. He only sighed and nodded. A stupid question, they all felt the same. After some seconds of silence he continued.

"Something wrong with your hands?"

"Huh?"

"You keep looking at them all the time" he explained. "Something wrong?"

Max shrugged. She didn't know if she wanted to talk about it. It was childish and she was a soldier, dammit!

"Come on, talk to me" he flashed her his trademark grin but with the sadness in his eyes it wasn't really authentic. Nevertheless she felt grateful that he seemed to care.

"I can't forget how it felt" she finally admitted not looking at him. "I just can't get rid of the feeling of his blood, it was so warm and…"

She stopped and sighed frustrated but looked up again surprised when he took her hands in his. His touch felt good and she almost relaxed a little bit.

"I can't see anything" he said after some seconds.

They sat together for some time in comfortable silence thinking about the night that had taken their brother from them. Max knew he tried to comfort her and was grateful for it although she wouldn't have thought Alec would do such a thing.

"Alec?"

"Yeah?"

"I would like to ask you something but I need you to be honest."

"Sure, what is it?"

"Did I…" she began reluctantly taking a deep breath before voicing the doubts that had been nagging at her the whole time. "Did I make a mistake tonight? Did I slow the others down? Was it…was it my fault Nitro died?"

He looked at her surprised at first but then he narrowed his eyes.

"Listen to me, Max!" he said insistently. "What happened to Nitro was nobody's fault, last of all yours. You kept up as well as anybody else. You did what you were trained to do and so he did. None of the things that happened tonight happened because you made a mistake. We got attacked and defended ourselves. Don't you even think for one second any of this is your fault, do you understand me?"

She looked at him for some seconds. He had spoken like somebody who had made the same experience. Finally she nodded.

"Good." He relaxed a little bit and sudden snorted quietly. "What is with you women always trying to take the blame for things that are not your fault? Look at Artemis, she still thinks she's responsible for not having seen that sniper earlier. She was trying to cover our retreat, dammit! That sniper was two buildings away from the one we were in and we're not the only ones knowing how to use cover. If it hadn't been for the muzzle flash she wouldn't have seen him at all. It wasn't her fault and it wasn't your fault, no one here's to blame. Nitro died because he got shot by a sniper who knew what he was doing; if at all blame that one."

Max nodded. She knew Alec was right but to hear it from him made her feel a little bit better. She wanted to thank him just when Wolf rounded the corner. Everybody got up and looked at their CO expectantly. His face showed no emotion but she could see the terrible sadness in his eyes as well.

"I just talked to the Colonel" he informed them trying to sound formal. "The extraction team will be here in four hours and bring us back to Gilette. Nitro…Nitro and the others, too. The debriefing is tomorrow at 0900."

"Does all of this mean nothing to you?" It was Bear who said that. The tall transgenic hadn't spoken a word since they had left the scene their latest battle. He'd always had a special friendship with the smaller Nitro and Max wasn't sure if seeing his friend die hadn't been too much for him. "Is this just business as usual for you? We lost Nitro tonight, goddammit, does this mean nothing to you? Do we mean nothing to you?"

Max could hear several of her teammates gasp for air. Nobody had ever talked to their CO like that. They all looked from Bear to Wolf but instead of seeing anger at his soldier's outburst Max saw her brother flinch and he suddenly looked hurt.

"You have no idea" Wolf said very slowly after a few seconds looking first at Bear and then at the rest of them, his voice hoarse and but a whisper, "You have no idea what you – every single one of you – mean to me!"

Had they been surprised at Bear's outburst the whole team looked now at Wolf in complete shock. This wasn't the CO they knew. The male X5 looked hurt, guilty. Broken.

Out of instinct Max took a step towards him. "Wolf…"

She stopped abruptly when he took his hands up like in defense. He wasn't looking at any of them anymore but on the floor. Without a word he took a few steps back before turning away and disappearing around the corner.

"You idiot!" Kyla hissed angrily realizing first what just had happened and shoved Bear against the wall before running after her partner. Bear didn't move seemingly as astonished at his CO's behavior as the rest of them.

When Kyla rounded the corner Wolf had already disappeared. Where the hell did he go? Sometimes this guy was just too fast. Suddenly she felt a soft breeze of cold air. She turned around only to see the door to the fire escape wasn't fully closed. Of course! She should have thought of that one first.

She rushed up the stairs taking several steps at a time until she reached the rooftop. She didn't have to look out for him; there was no place to hide on the flat roof. He was standing several feet away from the door near the balustrade looking down onto the streets below him. He must have heard her but he didn't turn around. She frowned and approached him until she stood at his side.

"You shouldn't be standing up here" she said after a few moments. "You're a perfect target."

"So are you." His voice was flat and he didn't look at her.

"You know he didn't mean it, don't you?" she asked after some seconds.

"Do I really appear like that, Kyla?" he wanted to know not answering her question but finally looking at her and she cringed at the sight of sadness and self-doubt in his eyes. "Like I don't care about you and the others?"

She breathed deeply, choosing her words carefully.

"Yes, sometimes you do. But" she added quickly when she saw the pained look on his face, "we all know it's only a mask. You're the CO and sometimes you have to act like that. Sometimes it's necessary to hide our feelings if we want to stay sharp and do our job."

She looked at him almost softly and rested her hand on his shoulder.

"Wolf, you are a great leader and a good friend. The whole unit should be glad to have you as their CO and they know it, all of them. Bear is angry and frustrated and he just needed someone to vent his wrath on. He knows you care, we all do."

"It still hurts" he mumbled looking away from her again. "Somehow I just can't stop thinking that I lost my focus out there."

"What do you mean?"

"After I heard the shot and ducked behind my cover…" he began hesitantly, "when I got up again I should have looked after Nitro first, but I didn't."

He stopped and remained silent for the next ten seconds.

"What are you trying to tell me?" she pressed softly.

"I…when I got up I looked…" she could see it was difficult for him to talk about it, "I looked first if you were okay. I shouldn't have. I knew Nitro was hit but still my first thoughts were about you, if you were wounded and I turned towards you first, only thinking about Nitro again after I was sure you were okay."

Kyla held her breath when he said that and she immediately felt guilty because of the feelings she felt at his words.

"I'm your 2IC" she tried to reason as calmly as possible. "It's only natural that you check on your second in command from time to time."

"Not like that!" he disagreed shaking his head sounding frustrated, almost desperate. "Losing Nitro is the hardest thing I've ever experienced but losing you…I can't…I can't even think about it. I don't know what I would do and I can't stop thinking about how I…"

He was cut off when Kyla suddenly embraced him in a tight hug.

"Stop it" she whispered into his ear holding him close. She knew him; he didn't know what to do and that scared him. He blamed himself and wasn't able to mourn like the rest of the team. They had each other to rely on but he was the CO; he couldn't show weakness in front of his soldiers. But it was different with her; she was his 2IC, it was her duty to help him whenever she could. "Wolf, stop. It was not your fault. Not your fault!"

They stood like that like for hours and she kept whispering soothing words into his ear all the time. She could almost feel the fears that tormented him. He breathed heavily and from time to time he trembled slightly.

After several minutes he finally calmed down a little bit and looked at her their faces only inches apart. She still could see sadness in his eyes but there was also a kindness she hadn't seen since they'd been children.

Suddenly he bent forward and kissed her. She tensed up in surprise but quickly relaxed and returned the kiss with her eyes closed. There was nothing passionate about it but she moaned softly, not in excitement but in relief. How she had longed for this moment, not believing it would ever happen!

They were not lovers yet. They were two people scared to death of losing each other. They had seen tonight how fast it could happen and they needed each other to feel safe again and to overcome their grief. They were confused by their own actions and emotions as none of them had ever experienced something like that before but they felt it was right and knew they belonged together.

When they finally broke the kiss they just kept looking at each other, feeling relieved and a little bit unconfident at the same time.

"I'm sorry" he whispered quietly.

"Don't be", she smiled trying to reassure him. They stood like that for several minutes until she said: "Wolf?"

"Hm?"

"I'm tired."

He chuckled and she grinned, too. It was the truth, despite her shark DNA she felt tired.

"Down?" he asked but she shook her head.

"No, I'd like to stay up here."

"Okay.

Without letting go of each other they sat down with their backs against the balustrade and she snuggled up against him until her head rested on his shoulder and his arm around hers. The cold didn't bother them. They remained like that in silence and she soon felt how she started to doze off.

"Kyla" Wolf suddenly said sounding tired as well.

"Hm?"

"Thank you."

She smiled and after that none of them spoke a word again and they drifted off into the most peaceful sleep they'd ever had in their entire life.

* * *

"Okay, I hope you guys are ready" Zack said into his hidden micro.

"_As always"_ Syl answered.

"_Everything's ready, don't worry"_ Logan assured. He was sitting in the old van they used as their mobile command center.

"Let's start the show then" Zack said more to himself. He started his Ninja and sped towards the checkpoint. It took him about five minutes to get there and when he saw the small sentry post and the four soldiers standing around it he couldn't help but grin. It wouldn't be much of a payback it was a start. Great! There even was a security camera.

One of the guards signaled him to slow down and the transgenic stopped a few feet before the checkpoint.

"Sir", the soldier began, "I must ask you to turn around and leave. This is a restricted area."

"Too bad" Zack said grinning broadly, "I just wanted to visit good old Manticore again."

Before any of the soldiers could recover from their surprise Zack leaped at the first of them knocking him out cold. The second guard joined his unconscious comrade before he'd even managed to draw his gun. The third actually managed to aim at the transgenic but before he could pull the trigger Zack grabbed his rifle slamming the butt in his face. The last soldier still standing shot at him two times but it was no problem for the X5 to dodge the bullets as his adversary didn't have enough time to aim properly and in the blink of an eye the last guard was disabled as well.

With his job done Zack looked around for a few seconds and smirked. "Well, that was fun!"

He tried to gain access of the checkpoints computer but failed of course. They'd known from the start it wouldn't work but it was a nice excuse for his attack.

"_Zack!"_ That was Logan again. _"The base has been alarmed, get out of there!"_

"With pleasure! This place gives me the creeps!" He mounted his bike again and sped off again, disappearing into Wyoming's woods before anyone inside Manticore even had a chance to get him.

* * *

"Sir, X5-451 reporting, sir!"

"At ease, soldier" Lydecker ordered looking at the X5 standing in his office once again. It had been two days since the funeral of X5-258 – Nitro – and he was asking himself how his kids were coping with their loss.

"How are you feeling, son?"

"Good, sir."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"I'm glad to hear that. I'm sorry for the loss your team has sustained but soldiers die sometimes, you know that."

"Yes, sir."

"Do you think your team is operational again?"

"We still need some training but yes, we are." They hadn't fully recovered yet but if needed they would be ready.

"Very good, but you still have some time. You…"

Suddenly the alarm went off and the two men looked up. Two seconds later Lydecker's phone started ringing.

"Lydecker! What? Where? Got it!" He hung up. "Defensive positions, 451, now!"

Without a word Wolf left the office sprinting towards the armory. After a few seconds the Colonel's voice could be heard throughout the whole base.

"Attention! All X5 units to their defensive positions! All guard personal to their posts! This is not a drill! I repeat…"

When arriving at the armory he could already see most of his team there.

"451!" Sergeant Major Donohue who was in charge of the armory tossed him a P90 and his radio equipment. Wolf caught it with ease.

"Everybody here?" he asked looking at his team. When he was sure nobody was missing he nodded. "Let's go!"

With inhuman speed they made their way towards the perimeter fence until they reached their position. They quickly spread out to cover a larger ground. When everybody had found his cover and Wolf was sure they were ready he cowered behind a fir tree.

And then they waited. Not moving, not making a sound they waited and observed their sector. It had been long since they'd had to do this but from what he had seen in the Colonel's office the man had been quite upset.

After four hours his radio suddenly came to life.

"All units, all units, this is Colonel Lydecker. Report back to your barracks! I repeat: All units report back to your barracks!"

"Unit two, understood!" Wolf replied and stood up looking at his team. "We're going back!"

* * *

On the other side of the base X5-734 formerly known as Brin suddenly stopped dead in her tracks and looked around suspiciously. She could have sworn she'd felt something, something she hadn't felt since…she shook her head. No, that was not possible; he would never come here out of his free will.

She shrugged almost as if to convince herself and made her way back to the base.

She wasn't aware of a pair of dark brown eyes following every one of her movements.

* * *

**Okay, until now Logan's plan seems to work.**

**You know now in which direction I'll go with Wolf and Kyla, where I'll go with M/A or M/L you'll find out in the next two chapters.**

**Give me reviews and I give you updates (is that blackmailing? Possible. Don't tell anybody *g*)**


	22. Chapter 22

Ok, I _know_ this one took me quite a while and I'm sorry for that but RL sucks at the moment.

I will try to update more regularly but I really can't promise anything right now.

Hope you're still out there!

********

**c00kieMonster:** Glad you liked it. So here's the next one!

**JOUNOUCHI sama:** To be honest I'm not sure yet if I will bring up the Conclave, but yes, it is a possibility. Thanks.

**Alan Grey:** I hope you still have your job. As much fun reading ff's can be getting fired would be a little bit too much for my liking. First of all: Glad your back. Then: You'll see what Max is going to do now Logan has become a direct thread to Manticore, she isn't completely brainwashed like we've seen it with Brin. I like the suggestions you made about Max's behaviour and the possibilities between Lydecker and Logan and also about the attackers from the previous chapter. Lots of ideas floating around in my head again but I will need some time to decide where exactly this will go. About the different medical problems that still exist throughout the X-series; I thought about bringing it up but until now there hasn't been a good occasion but I won't forget about it. Thanks again for your review and I hope you're still out there.

**Divine Fighter:** Like I said before, it will not be M/L, so your chances for M/A are still intact *gg* glad you liked the scene between Wolf and Kyla, I wasn't sure if I got it well enough.

**452max:** Well, I know you had to wait a little bit for this update but here it is. Have fun!

**Anoni:** Thanks to you, too. As for the pairing...well, you know it already ;)

**roseyangel:** You're mean! Can't just put them in PsyOps now, can I? ;) just kidding, you'll see what happens to them later.

********

Thank you very much! I know I made you wait longer than usual but I hope you're all still out there!

Read and enjoy!

char list

**X5-154 aka Nova** The blond transgenic is the medic of unit two. She's one of the smallest X5 but nevertheless can take care of herself just fine. Other than that she's one of the X5 with the most experience in missions outside Manticore. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-194 aka Blade** Member of unit two. The Asian woman is one of the few that could actually beat her CO or her 2IC in a hand-to-hand combat. She is almost obsessed with any sort of blades and usually tries not to use firearms. Has no shark but snake DNA.

**X5-210 aka Jondy** As children Max and Jondy had been in unit one and escaped together in '09. Jondy got caught by Lydecker months before Max and has joined unit two. She is loyal to Manticore and her unit but this doesn't mean she likes everybody around the base. Eventually she even refers to Lydecker that he 'can be an asshole sometimes'. Nevertheless she chose to stay out of her free will and hopes Max will be in her unit for she deeply cares about her younger sister.

**X5-258 aka Nitro** Member of unit two. The young blond man adores every sort of vehicle. He's one of the more unsettled X5. KIA

**X5-301 aka Kyla** 2IC of unit two. Usually paired with Wolf during their missions. The two of them have the most experience throughout the X-series when it comes to combat missions and search and destroy and both of them are very well trained in close quarter combat and hand-to-hand fights.

**X5-367 aka Havoc** Member of unit two. The black haired and tanned transgenic is the unit's expert when it comes to explosives. He is almost as calm as 439 and is known for his subtle sense of humor. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-439 aka Artemis** Member of unit two. She's the sniper of her unit. Her rather calm and controlled self helps the others from getting out of hand too much. Like Wolf and Kyla she keeps her brown hair very short as she thinks it would hinder her otherwise.

**X5-451 aka Wolf** CO of unit two and Max's genetic brother. His intense grey eyes and very short black hair clearly let him look like the soldier he is. His knowlegde about almost every sort of combat make him an enemy to be feared. He deeply cares about those under his command although he hardly ever shows it.

**X5-494 aka Alec** Member of unit two and third in the chain of command. He has become sort the unit's unofficial leader as Wolf and Kyla often are on outside missions. He can be sort of a smart ass sometimes but he usually knows when to stop. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-526 aka Bear** Member of unit two. He's the biggest and strongest X5 in the unit and prefers heavy weapons. Nevertheless he's very gentle and almost never gets angry. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-734 aka Brin** After her return to Manticore she underwent a very brutal reindoctrination which left her brainwashed and only partly able to make independent decisions. She has been under Director Renfro's command until Renfro had to leave the Wyoming facility. Currently Brin's not part of a unit but assigned to where she's needed.

**X5-798 aka Jace** She was the only one staying behind during the '09 escape out of her free will. She's currently a member of unit five.

* * *

"As most of you know" Lydecker said looking at the assembled X5 units "this facility has been attacked today. What you don't know yet is that the attacker was one of the X5 who escaped in '09; X5-599."

The big screen behind him jumped to live showing Zack's attack on the checkpoint earlier that day. None of the present X5 moved or showed a sign of surprise, they just watched the security camera footage analyzing the attack on the four guards. After Zack had left the scene the screen went black again.

"X5-599 tried to get access to the security computer system but failed. According to our analysis this wasn't an unplanned attack, never mind how much it looks just like that" Lydecker went on with his explanations. "We believe 599 or whoever is behind this will most probably be back and whatever it is they're planning we must be ready. The X7 perimeter patrols have been doubled and the X5 and X6 units will further reinforce them. We are planning to send out several recon teams to try and locate 599 or any other hostile force. I want you all ready to leave tomorrow at 0500. The units' COs are to assure the armament and equipment of their teams. Units 2 to 4 will be out on recon while units 5 and 6 will reinforce the perimeter guard. The rest of you will stay here as your backup. All of you will get further information from your drill instructors. Any questions?"

Lydecker stopped and looked around but none of his X5 spoke up. They just kept looking at him attentively.

"Good. Now I want everybody to be clear about this. X5-599 was one of the best unit commanders before he escaped in '09. He was able to escape Manticore black ops at the age of nine so don't underestimate him or whoever is with him. If you find something you contact command and the backup units will be with you shortly. This is a search and destroy mission but if possible bring every hostile you find back here alive, understood?"

"SIR, YES SIR!" a chorus of voices answered him.

"Excellent. Unit commanders, prepare your teams! You will leave tomorrow at 0500! Dismissed!"

Lydecker watched them leave and felt more than confident that they would be able to locate and neutralize Zack but he also knew they were in trouble. Despite the fact the '09 escapees seemingly were out there the men that had attacked unit two in Joliet still were not identified and from what he had read in the reports they hadn't been the usual sort of mercenaries. Somebody was after him and his kids and until now he didn't have a clue who it was.

* * *

While her unit made the way back to their barracks Max's thoughts were racing. She knew Zack better than the members of her team and while Lydecker only suspected that his first appearance was just the beginning of an oncoming attack she was absolutely sure about it; he was here to free her and Jondy, maybe he even thought he could get Brin out, too.

And she couldn't let it happen.

She knew the defensive capabilities of the facility better than Zack and from whatever point of view she analyzed the situation every possible attack would end in a disaster. The most promising possibility was that he would try to lure them out again to their defensive positions like he had done today and try to get her and Jondy out but this would mean he would have to attack her unit.

Even if he wasn't alone she doubted he would be able to succeed; Wolf and Kyla were extraordinary soldiers and their combat experience exceeded his many times over and the others of her unit were better trained than he was, too; after all it had been a long time since he'd left Manticore and she knew from her own experience that being on the outside for so long softened even an X5 no matter how hard they tried to train themselves.

And even if he would succeed, it would mean he would have to neutralize the rest of her unit and knowing Zack she was afraid he would use whatever force necessary to do so and she couldn't let that happen either. She'd grown to like her fellow X5; they accepted her and after all the time she'd spent with them they'd become friends.

Family.

It was the first time she really thought about them like about her old unit; The calm Artemis and Kyla, the fierce Blade, the amicable Nova and of course her brother Wolf and all the others. They'd become her new family and she would do everything possible to keep her family from harm.

Twisted thing was she thought the same about Zack and the others. Thinking about it intensely enough it became clear that after the incident at the Docks in Seattle he'd most probably contacted the others – Tinga, Krit, perhaps even Syl – for his next step. Regroup, so to speak. If he'd done what he'd been trained to do they were spread out all around the base now watching the facility they'd escaped a decade ago waiting for their chance to strike.

And most likely Logan was somewhere around; she knew he wouldn't forget about her and to a mission like the one Zack was probably about to pull off a communications expert was indispensable.

Despite all the time she had spent in PsyOps she still thought of Logan as a very good friend and Zack, Krit and the others she'd been with during her first years of life would always be her siblings but glancing around at her team members when they entered the barracks she decided she wouldn't let anything happen to them if there was a possibility to prevent it.

While the others, first of all those without shark DNA, got to their cells and started to undress to get some hours of sleep before they had to report to their instructor Max put on a black combat uniform and grabbed a few things from her locker she would need outside.

Suddenly she felt like she was being watched. She turned around and got aware of Jondy standing in her door looking at her with a mixture of apprehension and understanding. The two women stared at each other before Jondy smiled almost invisibly and nodded slightly. No words were spoken but they understood each other just like they had all those years ago. Judging from the look in her eyes Jondy had the same thoughts like her and seeing her sister preparing to leave was all it took the brown haired transgenic to make her decision. Max looked at her and felt relief; she wouldn't have to go alone.

Jondy signaled her to wait and disappeared. Max finished her preparations and closed the locker. Looking around she took in all the little belongings she had. It wasn't much; in fact it was much less than she'd had in Seattle but it was all she needed and she knew she put everything on the line she had achieved since she'd come home.

But she had to do this. She couldn't allow Zack and her siblings to go on a suicide mission, couldn't allow Logan to risk his life for it and she certainly couldn't allow them to attack her unit.

And all of that because they wanted to get her out of Manticore although she didn't want to. When she realized what she had been thinking she froze. Was that really her or was it PsyOps messing with her head again?

'No!' she decided after endless seconds, this was not PsyOps. She knew it would be hard to explain it to them, perhaps even impossible but she had to try.

Suddenly Jondy appeared again wearing the same sort of uniform Max did. She looked just as anxious as her little sister felt but both of them knew what they were planning had to be done.

"Ready?" she asked in a quiet voice. Max nodded and together they left her cell. They didn't get far.

"What are you doing?" Max cringed at hearing his voice. He stood in the middle of the corridor blocking their way.

"We're gonna neutralize the thread" Jondy answered simply.

"We will leave tomorrow morning" he replied and his voice sounded strained. He tried to look relaxed but both women could see he wasn't at all. "Go back to your cells!"

"No!" Max replied calmly.

"No?"

"What's going on here?" a tired Blade asked appearing behind Wolf.

"I don't know" he answered without looking away from the two X5 in their black uniforms. "Ask them!"

Blade looked at her two team members a little bit surprised.

"We're leaving tonight" Max started to explain. "We will find X5-599 and neutralize the thread."

"I can't let you go." Now his voice had an almost threatening undertone.

"Can somebody please tell me what is going on?" Kyla had left her cell, too, and joined Wolf and Blade. Slowly the rest of the team appeared as well and all of them looked at the strange scene taking place in confusion. Without really thinking about it they formed a circle around Wolf and the two female X5.

"I will not let you go!" Wolf insisted. "Go back to your cells and we'll forget all of this ever took place."

"It's the only way!" Jondy answered.

"The only way to do what?" he snapped and Max felt her sister flinch slightly. "Insubordination never is the right way, both of you should know that!"

"It's not insubordination" Max objected. "Lydecker wants us to make sure Zack won't attack this facility and we know a way how to do so."

"Then tell me and we'll do it together!"

"It will only be possible for the two of us. If he sees only one of you with us it won't work."

"What are you talking about?" Kyla looked at her and Max could clearly see her 2IC was interested yet still suspicious.

"Jondy and I will leave the base and move to the nearest town." Max didn't fully where all the details of her plan came from but being an X5 she had always been able to think very quickly, sometimes without even noticing it. "From there we will call Logan Cale's old apartment and you can be sure he will notice the call. I wouldn't be surprised if he's even listening to the wireless talk on the base right now. We will wait until they come to us. And then we will make sure they'll leave us alone."

She looked at Jondy and her sister nodded. It had been almost exactly the same thing she'd been thinking except for calling at Logan's place.

"How?" Wolf almost seemed interested, too.

"We will convince them."

His eyes darkened. "And how the hell do you think you can 'convince' them? You ask them nicely to leave?"

"They're here because of us" Jondy explained without hesitation although she could see her CO was about to explode. "They think we want to get out of here. If we can make them understand we don't maybe they'll leave."

"Are you two out of your mind?" he hissed through clenched teeth. "Do you have any idea what they will do to you in PsyOps when they find out? And apart from that this idiotic plan of yours will never work. As soon as they got you they'll take you with them by force!"

"You don't know them as well as we do" Max sounded more confident than she felt. She could sense the nervousness of the others around her and she understood all too well. What they were trying to do resembled the '09 escape.

"And you do? Are we talking about the same people? Because you know, as I remember it 599 tried to sell us to the reds!"

"He was desperate at that time. He isn't anymore, trust me."

"Trust you?" Now he sounded almost surprised. "Trust you? You want to leave this base without an order – which is, if I remember correctly, called desertion – and you tell me to trust you?"

"Yes, I do!" Max replied suddenly feeling angry herself. "I could have disappeared in Joliet before even one of you would have noticed I was gone and Jondy has been on a deep covert ops already and she came back!"

"Our loyalty is to Manticore and to our unit" Jondy added almost pleadingly. "To you. To all of you. We never deceived you and we're not doing it now either. But you have to understand that they're our siblings, too. If we won't make them leave they will attack this unit and you know they'll be losses on both sides and that's something I can't let happen. Max and I can prevent that."

"You know we're not lying" Max said looking around at her fellow X5. "Think about it! If it were one of you out there wouldn't you try and prevent him from attacking this unit? From risking his life and the ones of your teammates at the same time? You'd do the very same thing and you know it! And you know you can trust us, don't you?"

They still looked at her, most of them nervous and confused, but after a moment Nova suddenly nodded. Then Blade and Artemis and then all of them except for Kyla and Wolf. Jondy looked at her CO sadly.

"Don't you trust us?"

"That's not the right question. I can't allow you to…" he suddenly stopped when Kyla put her hand on his shoulder. He shot her a warning glance but she ignored it.

"Sometimes" she spoke slowly carefully choosing each of her words, "a commanding officer has to trust his soldiers although he doesn't know if they're right. He has to trust their judgment and their loyalty even if he can't be sure they'll do the right thing. That's what trust is about."

She looked at the two women before her and Max could see her inner conflict.

"I do trust you" Kyla finally said in a very serious voice, "although I know you were '09 escapees and your plan is anything else than a good one. It's a tactical nightmare and I think your personal feelings prevent you from seeing that. But during the last days I've learned that feelings can be something good and I understand why you want to go."

Almost everybody looked at her in surprise. Like Wolf Kyla had the reputation to be cold and calculating when it came to tactical decisions; the two of them didn't become Manticore's two top soldiers for no reason. But now she looked at Jondy and Max with an almost sad smile and nodded like to confirm her words.

Max looked at her brother who still stood between her and the barrack's exit not moving at all.

"Wolf?"

He didn't answer and Max almost thought he would order the others to take her and Jondy to their cells again and call the guards when he suddenly breathed deeply.

"You're all sure about that? You know the consequences" he asked and looked at his team. After a short pause of hesitation they all nodded. He closed his eyes and shook his head. When he opened them again he looked at the two women sternly. "I don't know why I'm doing this. Go to the town twelve miles east from here; it's where our unit will be deployed for the recon mission. You have thirty-six hours. If I don't hear from you until then I will inform the Colonel and all hell will break lose."

Everybody breathed a sigh of relief. Max looked at her brother almost not believing what she just heard. He let them go? The Manticore top dog let them go?

"Thank you" she sighed and Jondy nodded smiling gratefully.

He only looked at them without showing any emotion. "Get it done! Try to avoid the X7, they'll not hesitate to inform the guards. And the rest of you get some sleep. Now!"

He turned away and disappeared into his cell without another word.

Slowly the rest of the team followed their CO's example some of them wishing their two team members good luck before they went to their respective quarters until only Kyla was still there.

"Good hunting" she said in a formal tone. Max and Jondy nodded and walked past her when Kyla suddenly held Max back. Leaning forward she whispered to her so quietly Jondy couldn't understand what she said: "You'll come back, right?"

"We've been escapees once" Max answered softly. She knew they put the whole team at risk with their actions and she still couldn't believe they actually let them go, "but not anymore. We'll be back."

"I hope so" and Max could hear the concern in her 2IC's voice. "Because if you don't I doubt your brother will ever get over the fact to have failed like that again."

* * *

"We were right" Krit stated when all of them had gathered in the small hotel room they'd rented a few days ago. After several hours of surveillance they had left their posts and came back to what was their base at the moment. "Right after the alert they left the base. And the defensive positions are almost the same."

"Yeah, but did you see those guards around the perimeter?" Syl asked him with a weird expression, "those with the black eyes? Creepy!"

"Talk about creepy" Zack growled, "I saw myself today. Only ten years younger."

"You're talking about the X7" Logan guessed. "Sebastian said there would probably be some of them."

"What are they?" Tinga wanted to know.

"Well, the ones Syl has seen, those with black eyes, seemingly are designed for guard duty. The others Zack saw are copies."

"Copies?"

"Of your DNA. Only even more enhanced."

"Great!" Zack snorted. "Now I have a nine year old super-twin of mine out there. Just great!"

"Don't underestimate them!" Logan warned. "From what Sebastian was able to find out they're faster and stronger than you and most of the X7 also have a hive consciousness. They still are children but they're a match even for one of you."

None of them talked and everybody was trying to digest what Logan just had said. After a few seconds it was Zane who spoke up.

"I saw Brin today."

"What!" Syl exclaimed. "Where?"

"She was with the team that took position on my side of the base. Didn't look like the Brin I remembered at all."

"What do you mean?" Krit inquired.

"Too much like a soldier, no change in her expression all the time." Despite his calm exterior his siblings felt his inner turmoil. Zane had always been very close to Brin. "She almost acted like a robot."

"Can't say Max and Jondy looked any better" Krit murmured grimly. He had been the one who spotted his two lost sisters first. "They did everything their CO told them to do, like they really were part of the unit.

"PsyOps" Zack said with disgust in his voice. "They've been brainwashed, all of them."

"Which will only make it more difficult for us to get them out" Logan reasoned. The others nodded.

"What about Brin?" Syl suddenly wanted to know. "We can't leave her behind!"

"We have to" Zack's voice was stern but he didn't look at his sister. "We don't have the manpower to get her out, too."

"You can't be serious!" Tinga exclaimed.

"We can't get her out this time" Logan intervened before this turned out to be a major turmoil like he had seen it several times during the last few days. "But we'll be back."

"We won't fool them a second time and besides that…" Syl objected but suddenly stopped when one of Logan's computers started bleep. Everybody gathered around the computer equipment while Logan analyzed the problem. It wasn't much, not like the network he had back in his penthouse but having a bunch of genetically enhanced super-soldiers around you had proved to be more than just handy; within a few days they'd gathered enough equipment to allow Logan to set up a network almost as effective as his old one and surely effective enough for the task that lay before him.

"Somebody is calling my apartment" Logan announced after several seconds, sounding surprised.

"So what?" Zack still didn't like this Cale despite the fact that he had proven himself to be very competent. Hell, after this guy had been done they could listen to what the guards in Manticore were talking about on wireless.

"The call's coming from somewhere around here" Logan explained. "I put it on the speaker."

A second later everybody could hear what the caller was saying and they all gasped in surprise.

"…know you'll hear this, Logan." It was Max! Their Max! "We currently are in a small town twelve miles east from Manticore and we don't have much time. We need to talk! If you still want us, we'll wait here for the next five hours."

"And no hanging behind, if possible, we don't have all day!" another voice added.

"That's Jondy!" Zack exclaimed looking at the screen in disbelief.

"You heard it." That was Max again. "We don't have much time. Hurry!"

The line went dead and they all stared at the screen and the speakers in astonishment.

"Where did this come from?" Krit demanded to know. It took Logan only a few seconds to find the answer.

"The call came from a phone booth. The town five miles north."

"Let's go!" Zack demanded and already reached for his weapons.

"Zack, wait!" After hearing his sisters' voices even the calm Zane was excited but he still remained a calm and cautious soldier. "What if this is a trap? You know better than any of us what happened the last time in Seattle and from what Krit saw today they seemingly have accepted their new unit."

"Even if it is, we have to try" Syl objected.

"Krit and I can observe the perimeter while the rest of you get them and Logan will stay here checking for any radio signals near the location" Tinga proposed. "It is possible."

"Yeah, you're right, Manticore black ops always used a lot of wireless" Zack agreed and looked at Logan. "You can do that?"

"Of course" Logan assured them. "If there's only one TAC team approaching I'll see it."

"Okay, anything else?" Zack looked around but none of his fellow X5 said anything. "Okay, let's get going!"

Without another word the X5 grabbed their arms and left the building while Logan started his surveillance.

* * *

Max stood in the shadows of the gas station and watched the road slowly getting nervous. It had been several hours since she'd made the call and until now there hadn't been a sign of her siblings. At her side she felt Jondy shifting slightly.

"You sure they got it?" her sister whispered quietly. Max felt grateful for her sister to be with her.

"Yeah, they got it" Max nodded. "But perhaps they think it's a trap. That's what I would think."

"Sure." Jondy glanced at her little sister. The chances anyone would show up were slim and even if their siblings would come to get them they still had the very difficult task to convince them to finally leave them alone. Yes, that certainly would be difficult if not impossible. She glanced at her watch. "0400. One hour and they'll start the search."

Suddenly they could hear a car approaching and seconds later an old van stopped at the gas station. The driver was Zane. Max hadn't seen him since they'd escaped in '09 but she almost immediately recognized him. The doors opened and Syl and Zack jumped out with weapons in their hands and looking to where the two X5 were hiding. Max drew a deep breath and together she and Jondy left the shadows and cautiously approached their siblings. This was it.

* * *


	23. Chapter 23

**Rose Red:** Welcome on board! Thanks for the compliment, I hope I can keep up to meet your expectations.

**roseyangel:** Jap, Deck has a hard time with his kids, but don't worry, the sly old fox still knows how to handle them. But yes, Renfro is still out there and you're gonna hear from her very soon. Thanks for the review!

**452max:** Okay, I get faster again concerning my updates, hope the suspense hasn't killed you yet. Read and enjoy!

**Divine Fighter:** Glad you liked it. I wasn't sure if I got the picture of Max being part soldier but still part sister/sibling to her old unit right. What Manticore's gonna think about it? You'll find out in this chapter.

**JOUNOUCHI sama:** Oh, don't be jealous :) You're gonna find out in this chapter, too.

**Taeniaea:** Thanks to you, too!

*****************

char list

**X5-154 aka Nova** The blond transgenic is the medic of unit two. She's one of the smallest X5 but nevertheless can take care of herself just fine. Other than that she's one of the X5 with the most experience in missions outside Manticore. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-194 aka Blade** Member of unit two. The Asian woman is one of the few that could actually beat her CO or her 2IC in a hand-to-hand combat. She is almost obsessed with any sort of blades and usually tries not to use firearms. Has no shark but snake DNA.

**X5-210 aka Jondy** As children Max and Jondy had been in unit one and escaped together in '09. Jondy got caught by Lydecker months before Max and has joined unit two. She is loyal to Manticore and her unit but this doesn't mean she likes everybody around the base. Eventually she even refers to Lydecker that he 'can be an asshole sometimes'. Nevertheless she chose to stay out of her free will and hopes Max will be in her unit for she deeply cares about her younger sister.

**X5-258 aka Nitro** Member of unit two. The young blond man adores every sort of vehicle. He's one of the more unsettled X5. KIA after the mission in Joliet.

**X5-301 aka Kyla** 2IC of unit two. Usually paired with Wolf during their missions. The two of them have the most experience throughout the X-series when it comes to combat missions and search and destroy and both of them are very well trained in close quarter combat and hand-to-hand fights.

**X5-367 aka Havoc** Member of unit two. The black haired and tanned transgenic is the unit's expert when it comes to explosives. He is almost as calm as 439 and is known for his subtle sense of humor. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-439 aka Artemis** Member of unit two. She's the sniper of her unit. Her rather calm and controlled self helps the others from getting out of hand too much. Like Wolf and Kyla she keeps her brown hair very short as she thinks it would hinder her otherwise.

**X5-451 aka Wolf** CO of unit two and Max's genetic brother. His intense grey eyes and very short black hair clearly let him look like the soldier he is.

**X5-494 aka Alec** Member of unit two and third in the chain of command. He has become sort the unit's unofficial leader as Wolf and Kyla often are on outside missions. He can be sort of a smart ass sometimes but he usually knows when to stop. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-526 aka Bear** Member of unit two. He's the biggest and strongest X5 in the unit and prefers heavy weapons. Nevertheless he's very gentle and almost never gets angry. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-734 aka Brin** After her return to Manticore she underwent a very brutal reindoctrination which left her brainwashed and only partly able to make independent decisions. She has been under Director Renfro's command until Renfro had to leave the Wyoming facility. Currently Brin's not part of a unit but assigned to where she's needed.

**X5-798 aka Jace** She was the only one staying behind during the '09 escape out of her free will. She's currently a member of unit five.

_

* * *

_

_0450 Manticore Headquarters, Gilette Wyoming_

To any outsider not familiar with the military it would have appeared that the base was in major turmoil. Everywhere X5 were running to and fro gathering around their commanding officers and 2ICs, instructors and guards were shouting orders and a considerable amount of vehicles was prepared to leave the facility in a few minutes. It looked like utter chaos but having been trained for years or – in the case of the transgenic soldiers for their entire life – every man and every women knew the tasks that had to be done and so everybody did his job without disturbing the other finishing the preparations in an amazingly short time.

"Unit two reporting, sir!" Wolf announced his team to Major Coleman. They were wearing civilian clothing and hid their weapons under their jackets but still they were the very picture of a military unit. Yet. Wolf knew his fellow X5 were quite good actors and if necessary more than able to deceive almost any ordinary human they would encounter outside about their real nature.

"Very good, as you already know you'll be doing recon in the town east of this facility. If you…" The instructor suddenly stopped and frowned looking at the young soldiers he had known for almost twenty years. "Where are 210 and 452?"

"Advance recon, sir" Wolf explained calmly. It wasn't really a lie, after all. "They've left the base a few hours ago."

"And what on earth made you decide to split your team, 451?"

"I've seen X5-599 in action, sir." Wolf behavior was controlled and no one would have thought the black haired transgenic was in very cold sweat at the moment. "He's very fast and I thought it would be best if I have some spotters on place as soon as possible."

"Has this been authorized?" Coleman looked at the young man warningly. He knew 451 was not as loyal to him than to the Colonel but almost.

"Negative, sir, I made this decision myself. We'll meet with 210 and 452 as soon as we've reached the operational area."

"We will see about this when you get back" Coleman growled not happy with that answer at all. If he'd been a little bit more observant he would have seen the brief flicker of fear in the X5's eyes and the concerned glances the whole unit exchanged. "You are to move out in ten minutes, Humvees will bring you and the other teams as close to your respective operational areas as possible, after that you have 36 hours to accomplish your mission. Any questions?"

"SIR, NO SIR!"

"Good hunting! Dismissed!"

Wolf saluted again and the whole team made its way to the waiting vehicles. Kyla looked at him in concern but he shook his head dismissively. They didn't have time for that now.

* * *

While Zane drove to their hideout the others were in the back of the old van and Zack checked and double-checked both Max and Jondy for any kind of hidden transponders or micros to make sure nobody would be able to follow them. All the time Syl was watching her two sisters with alert eyes; the tazer in her hand was not aimed at them but Max knew it would only take a slight sign of aggressiveness – even a sudden movement would be enough – and Syl would make good use of that weapon.

As soon as they'd entered the vehicle her siblings had handcuffed her and Jondy with an apologetic look in their eyes.

"_Sorry"_ the blond transgenic had said, _"I hope you understand."_

Max couldn't blame them, she would have acted exactly the same and she felt Jondy didn't feel insulted either.

After Zack was sure they didn't carry any kind of hidden electronics or weapons he relaxed a little bit and sat down. None of them spoke a word until they reached their destination a few minutes later. It turned out to be one of those cheap and rather shabby hotels that somehow had survived the pulse. Without a word Zack opened the door and Max and Jondy jumped out of the vehicle suddenly finding themselves face-to-face with Zane. Her siblings remained silent but rushed them across the small parking place and into the hotel with Zack leading the way and Zane and Syl behind the two Manticore X5.

When they entered the hotel the grey-haired man in the porter's lodge barely looked up. He was used to have strange folks around and as long as he got paid he didn't mind if their behavior was weird or not.

When they entered the small living room of the apartment Max got aware of several weapons laying on the table as well as empty ammunition boxes, maps of the surrounding area and communication equipment. Even somebody with much less military training would have recognized that this room was some sort of command center. She could feel the presence of at least two other people in the bedroom.

"Hold still" Zack said in a quiet but stern voice and a second later the handcuffs were gone. Syl did the same to Jondy and the two Manticore soldiers subconsciously rubbed their wrists. She noticed her siblings had positioned themselves in a way it would not be possible for her and Jondy to get out of the door or lay a hand on one of the weapons without a fight. For a moment they all stood in awkward silence until Max noticed somebody had entered the room and was looking at her. She turned around towards the bedroom and got aware of an exotic looking woman smiling at her.

"Tinga!" she whispered happily and seconds later the two women embraced each other in a tight hug.

When Krit excited the bedroom a second later Jondy followed her sister's example and the male X5 found himself in a crushing hug he happily returned. After that the ice was broken. The '09 escapees somehow just felt their two sisters weren't a thread to them. The lost siblings welcomed each other back, most of them feeling really happy again for the first time in years.

The emotions Max felt could not be put into words when she finally found herself amongst her siblings again for the first time in almost a decade and her eyes were filled with tears of happiness.

When she finally let go of Krit who had welcomed her last she got aware of Logan standing in the door to the bedroom looking at her with a happy gleam in his eyes. She quickly made her way over to him and embraced him so hard she could almost hear him wince.

"Max" he managed to say after a few seconds, "You know some of us have to breathe once in a while, right?"

She let go of and grinned at him, then looking at Jondy who looked just as happy as she felt and then at the others.

They were all smiling broadly, even the always serious Zack and the usually so calm Zane.

Unfortunately they all were aware of the seriousness of the situation and Zack finally snapped back into his CO mode. Max exchanged a worried look with Jondy but the others seemingly didn't notice it or didn't recognize what their sisters were thinking about.

"We have to go" Zack announced and everybody turned to look at him. "Get whatever you can; we have to be out of here in fifteen minutes."

Logan just nodded and disappeared into the bedroom again where he probably had set up his computer network while the others started to box the equipment that was lying around.

"We won't come with you." Jondy's voice was but a whisper but every X5 stopped dead in their tracks and stared at her in first in surprise, then in shock.

"What…" Krit began but didn't dare to finish his sentence.

"She's right" Max spoke up after several seconds of silence and again tears glistened in her eyes but this time her expression was one of terrible sadness. "You must go, but we won't come with you."

"We don't have time for this" Zack tried to sound stern but everybody could hear the fear in his voice. "We have to go. Now!"

"You go" Jondy insisted, "we will stay."

"You can't be serious!" Syl exclaimed. She dropped the box she was holding and took a step towards her sisters but didn't dare to touch them and instead shared a worried look with Zane.

The calm X5 only watched his two sisters and although there was the same sadness in his eyes Max felt she also could see he was already beginning to understand.

"Max, Jondy" Tinga tried to reach them looking at them with the same terror like the others, "you can't think straight for the moment, believe me, after we're out of here you'll understand!"

"No, Tinga" Max shook her head and smiled sadly, "you don't understand. I know you think we've been brainwashed and all but that's not true. We will stay here no matter what you're gonna say. Not because some scientist in PsyOps told us to but because we want to."

"You don't know what you are saying!" Everybody looked at Logan who had left the bedroom again. "Max, you told me yourself that Manticore messes with your head until you can't remember what's right and what's wrong! You don't know what you're doing!"

"I remember everything, Logan" Max insisted in a grave voice. "Everything. Why I escaped from Manticore the first time and Lydecker chasing me around for the last ten years, how I met OC, my time in Seattle, meeting you and all the time we spent together. They didn't make me forget."

"Same with me" Jondy added. "I can remember every day since we left in '09, every feeling I had, every experience. We did not forget. They just made us understand."

"Understand?" Zane sounded worried and sad, too, but also curious.

"We didn't understand what was going on in Manticore when we were children" Jondy explained. "Why they were doing those things to us, why we were trained."

"And what has changed?" Instead of sounding worried or anxious Zack had returned to the only feeling he felt safe with: Anger. "They killed Jack, they killed Eva! They tortured us and they will do it again if you go back there! I will not let that happen!"

"Always trying to protect us, aren't you, Zack?" Max looked at her older brother with an almost melancholic smile. "It's not as simple as you'd like it to be. Manticore has changed, we have changed. We're not children anymore, we're soldiers. It's what we've been designed to be, it's what we are. I know you don't understand and I also know you never want to come back again, but you have to accept that Jondy and I will not leave with you. We will not betray our unit and we won't leave Manticore."

"Then why did you come here at all?" Tinga wanted to know.

"Because we knew you would try to get us out and that would have resulted in a battle and we couldn't risk that. Please believe me when I say that we still care about you, but we couldn't risk that you would eventually attack us. That's why we came here, not because we want to leave."

"That's PsyOps talking, Max, and you know it!" Zack growled. Instantly both Manticore soldiers looked at him and everybody in the room straightened up when they saw the looks in their eyes.

"Careful, Zack!" Jondy warned him sounding much more sternly than only seconds ago, "This is not PsyOps, this is not X5-210 or 452 talking to you, it's Max and Jondy, your sisters. You finally have to get through your thick skull that whatever you think or try you can be damned sure we will do everything we can to prevent you from attacking our family or our home!"

Everybody except for Max stared at her in disbelief.

Our family. Our home.

For about a minute nobody said a word before Syl finally spoke up.

"You really are serious about this, aren't you?"

"Yes, we are" Max nodded. "We still care about you and you will always be our family, too – that's why we came here. But you have to understand that we belong to another unit now. They care about us just like you do, they have risked their lives for us and without them I wouldn't be alive anymore. I know you probably can't believe us but Manticore is our home now. We have accepted that we're a part of it. It's where we belong, all of us."

"Max…" Logan began in a hoarse voice but when Max shook her head he stopped.

"Logan, you're one of the best friends I ever had." She smiled sadly. "And I will never forget you but our journey has to end here. I have changed; I'm not the Max Guevara you knew anymore. You have to stop looking for me and move on. I know this seems terribly unfair but I'm an X5, a genetically engineered soldier and you're an ordinary human being, a man of great values, a crime-fighting cyber-journalist. We're not living in the same worlds. You, all of you, have to accept that whatever you will say or do: We don't want to leave Manticore and we will not. Not out of our free will. You have to stop looking for us or you will get hurt or even worse."

"This is not you, Max" Logan tried again. "You're not a soldier."

"'_On account of you Sonrisa didn't get to kill the judge or buy the jury'_" Max recited the words Logan had said to her after she had dealt with Sonrisa all that time ago. "'_He's gone, once and for all. It was a war, Max, and you won.'_ You remember that?"

She gave him a few moments to remember and understand what she was trying to say. Finally she continued.

"So you see, Logan, in some weird twisted way I've always been a soldier. It's what we are. Manticore and Eyes Only; they're not that much different. Sometimes their intentions are almost the same, only on different scales. I know what you want to say, but please don't; I will not change my mind."

"I will not let that happen" Zack insisted and everybody looked at him upon hearing the desperate undertone in his voice.

"What do you want to do?" Krit asked. "They already made their decision."

"No, they didn't! They've been brainwashed and reprogrammed! We take them with us! They will remember!

"No." The pain in Zane's voice made Max cringe but she could see he had realized what she and Jondy were talking about and he reluctantly began to accept it. "When I saw Brin I knew she was brainwashed. Her eyes were empty and she moved like somebody else controlled her body. Zack, it's Max and Jondy, the sisters we haven't seen in almost ten years. Not reprogrammed drones, not 210 and 452. It's them and you know it. You feel it. All of you do! If we take them with us by force they will escape and return as soon as possible and we will not be able to keep them with us forever. I came here to free my sisters but it's their decision to stay. If it would be 210 and 452 I would force them to come with us, but they're Max and Jondy. I will neither make them to do something they don't want to do nor will I allow any of you to do so."

His siblings looked at him and suddenly Zack shook his head, seemingly defeated. Tinga was the first to move.

"You're sure this is what you want?"

Max and Jondy nodded in unison. "Yes, we are" Max's older sister answered quietly.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry we lost you!" Tinga whispered in a hoarse voice when she hugged Max and Jondy.

"You didn't lose us" Max tried to assure her although she knew it was a futile attempt.

One after the other their brothers and sisters followed Tinga's example. Max could feel they were trembling, all of them had tears in their eyes and Syl sobbed quietly. Before she had left the base Max had already known her siblings would perhaps accept her and Jondy's choice but would not understand but seeing them like this now – so utterly defeated – it almost broke her heart.

Zane was the last to say goodbye to his sisters. He hugged them tightly.

"I really hope you're making the right decision. Take care of yourselves" he whispered. "And if you can, please take care of Brin, too."

"We will" Jondy assured him quietly and Max nodded.

Finally Max turned towards Logan who still looked at her with a pained expression. She placed her hand upon his chest and he shuddered trying to control his emotions.

"You are a good man, Logan Cale" Max said with sympathy in her voice, "but you have to move on. I hope you won't forget me, but please, stop trying to free me. I am already free."

Logan suddenly took a step forward and embraced her into a tight hug. He trembled and Max could almost physically feel the emotional pain he felt and she hated herself to be the cause of it but she also knew she was doing the right thing. Logan was a friend, a very dear friend and although she knew she hurt him right now her actions would protect him and – she hoped – allow him to move on after a while.

Finally he let go of her and took a step back trying to hide his tears.

Max looked around and saw sadness and defeat in her siblings' eyes but also some sort of realization and understanding. She didn't know if they really believed she and Jondy were acting out of their free will but she knew they would let them go.

And she hoped they would stop trying to get them out of Manticore.

"I'm sorry this has to end like this" Jondy quietly said, "but we're not escapees anymore. We have a new unit and a family we care about and they care about us and trust us. I really hope you will understand one day."

She silently signaled Max to follow her and without another word the Manticore soldiers made their way towards the door. Before she opened it Max turned around looking at her siblings one last time.

"As an X5" she said, "I hope I will never see you again for I would have to fight you. But as your sister I hope we will meet again one day."

One last time both transgenics smiled sadly at their old family before they left the small apartment.

* * *

_Five hours later – Debriefing – Manticore Headquarters_

"Unit two's CO has reported that the hostile force has left. It appears that your mission was partly successful. Unfortunately they destroyed their equipment before we could retrieve it" Lydecker informed the present X5. "While I'm inclined to agree with X5-451 units 5 and 6 will stay on guard duty until we can be sure nothing's gonna happen. The rest of you will resume training. Are there any questions?"

When nobody said something the old Colonel nodded. "Unit two: Stay in here! The rest of you: Dismissed!"

Everybody stood up and the other transgenics left the room until only the members of unit two were left. After the doors were closed again Lydecker turned towards Wolf and suddenly his face was full of anger.

"Now" he began slowly clearly fighting with himself not to shout at the young man, "tell me once again what has happened!"

"210 and 452 left the base the previous night. They made contact with the hostile forces and managed to convince them to abandon their plans and leave." Wolf's voice sounded calm but the others could hear his suppressed fear.

"And what the heck were you thinking when you allowed two of your subordinates to leave this base and contact the enemy without an order from a superior instructor?" Lydecker's face was white with rage and his hands were clenched into fists.

"210 and 452 know the '09 escapees better than we do. It was a logical decision to try and use this advantage. They were sure they could convince her old unit to leave and so they did" Wolf tried to explain. He already knew it was pointless but his military training forced him to answer his superior's questions. "And besides that you ordered us a few weeks ago that we were not to attack Logan Cale who was also there."

"You did not know he would be there when you let them go!" Lydecker shouted finally losing his self-control and Wolf flinched slightly. "You disobeyed a direct order and you knew it!"

After a few seconds the Colonel calmed down a little bit.

"With your actions you have left me with no choice. I want 210 and 452 in PsyOps in one hour" he said through clenched teeth. "Dismissed!"

"Sir, if I may…" Wolf began but Lydecker cut him off.

"I said: DISMISSED!"

The black haired transgenic didn't move.

"Sir, with due all your respect" Max's brother said not looking away from his CO once, "I think you're making a mistake!"

Every transgenic in the room shot him a shocked glance. What was he doing? No X5 ever talked to the Colonel like that when he was in such a mood.

Lydecker's facial expression suddenly became all controlled and calm again but out of the corner of her eye Max could see the look of pure coldness he gave her brother. She had felt utter terror when Lydecker had ordered her and Jondy back to PsyOps but now she suddenly was even more afraid of what would happen next.

"What did you say?" The older man's voice was blank of any emotion.

"I said: I think you're making a mistake, sir" Wolf repeated.

"Explain!"

"Sir, it was my decision to let 210 and 452 leave the base. If they made a mistake because they left it was my mistake because I allowed it."

Finally Max understood what her brother was trying to do.

"Colonel Lydecker, sir", she said trying to get the older man's attention, "can I…"

"Shut up!" Lydecker snapped.

Max opened her mouth to protest.

"Silence!" Kyla hissed angrily at her. Max looked at her 2IC and the look the shorthaired woman gave her was enough to convince her it would be best not to say anything else.

After Lydecker was sure Max wouldn't speak up again he returned his attention to 451. The young man was still standing in front of him without moving a muscle and his eyes staring at the wall.

"Do you know what you're saying, 451?"

"Sir, yes sir!"

"And you are aware of what will happen if I agree with you?"

"Sir, I do, sir!"

Lydecker nodded slowly and then looked first at Max and then at Jondy. "210 and 452?"

"Sir!" the two women said in unison.

"You should be really glad to have 451 as your CO. I gave you some liberties, but apparently too much." The older man watched both of them for a moment before he addressed Kyla. "X5-301."

"Sir?"

"You will take command of unit two for the time being!"

"Understood, sir!" The black haired woman briefly looked at Wolf fearing what this would mean for him.

"And you, 451" Lydecker continued with a voice as cold as ice, "you will report to PsyOps immediately!"

"Sir, yes sir!" Wolf tried his best not to show he was afraid. He had known this would happen after all.

"Get out of my sight, all of you!"

The whole unit was quick to leave the room. Wolf was the last. If he would have looked back he would have seen that Lydecker was watching him leave and instead of anger or disappointment there were other emotions in the old officer's eyes.

Compassion and fear.

* * *

"What have I done!" Max whispered to herself when she had reached her cell and sat down onto her bed. She knew Lydecker would punish them for their insubordination but she had thought it would be her and Jondy. Now it was her brother who had to suffer.

"Max?" She looked up upon hearing her name and got aware of Alec standing in the door. "You alright?"

"Peachy!" was her sarcastic answer.

"You knew this would happen, didn't you?"

"I knew I would be in trouble, but I never wanted Wolf to suffer! God, what have I done?" She returned her gaze to the floor feeling guilty, ashamed and frustrated at the same time. Alec watched her for a few seconds and although he had been a little bit angry with her before upon seeing her like that he suddenly wanted to comfort her.

He sighed and sat down at her side.

"Wolf knew what he was doing" he began. "He took the blame because he felt it was right thing to do. That has nothing to do with you or Jondy."

"And how should I ever again be able to look at him? He's down there because of me and God knows what they're gonna do to him! How could I ever be so stupid? This is all my fault."

She sounded utterly despaired and although Alec hadn't known her for a very long time it pained him to see her like that. When he got suddenly aware of the silent tears running down her face something snapped in his head and out of an instinct he put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. In any other situation she surely would have hit him on the head already for something like that but now she didn't have the strength for it; she didn't know why but somehow she trusted him. She had her head on his shoulder and cried silently. It felt good to have him at her side, not being alone in her desperation anymore and she was glad he tried to comfort her although it didn't make the situation any better.

They remained like that for several minutes until Max had calmed down.

"Alec? Are you angry?" she finally asked after a long time of silence. "With me and Jondy?"

"No" he shook his head still holding her close."No, I'm not. I never agreed with your plan but I can understand why you had to do it."

She nodded. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

"Max" she suddenly heard Kyla's stern voice and the X5 in question cringed. A second later their temporary CO entered the cell and looked at them for some seconds before she continued. "We have to report to Coleman in fifteen minutes. Hurry up, both of you!"

When she wanted to turn around and leave again she caught the worried and almost anxious look in Max's eyes. Wolf's partner sighed and took a few steps towards Max.

"Max, listen up!" she said in a softer voice and to her surprise the younger X5 looked up at her and she could see the girl had been crying. "We all knew something like that would happen. And still we all agreed. I know Wolf better than anybody else, I should have known he wouldn't let you or Jondy take the blame. It was his decision."

Max exchanged a worried and confused look with Alec before she looked at Kyla again almost timidly and the momentary CO of unit two could also see the guilt in the younger soldier's eyes. She sighed again.

"Listen Max, and listen good because I'm not gonna say this again. Wolf did this because he thought it would be best for you, for Jondy and for the whole unit and everybody knows that. We're not angry with you or Jondy, none of us is, but you can't expect us to love you for what the two of you have done. Now we have to move on and in a few weeks your brother will be back with us again, okay?"

Reluctantly Max nodded, still not fully convinced but a little bit relieved that at least Alec and Kyla did not hate her.

"Good" the other female transgenic said. "And now get up, we have work to do! That goes for you, too, Alec!"

* * *

In the basement of the main building Wolf lay on the table of PsyOps. It was odd, it had been almost ten years since he had undergone a PsyOps session for the last time but the room looked almost the same.

And the feelings were definitely the same, too.

Despite all the fear he felt he knew he had done the right thing. Jondy would perhaps have been able to endure PsyOps but with her recent experience with the scientists around him he doubted his sister would have made it.

Okay, they were not the same scientists anymore but others, carefully chosen by Lydecker himself but their mission still was the same.

One of them, a woman with shoulder length blond hair made sure the restraints were in place before she adjusted the laser. When the female scientist was sure everything was ready she gave a sign to one of her co-workers.

Without warning the red light came to life and Wolf bit down on the rubber thing in his mouth forcing himself to hold back a scream of agony.

He didn't manage to do so very long.

* * *

**Okay, before some of you start threating me with bodily harm READ THIS!**

**First of all I know some of you probably won't like the thought of Max choosing her new unit over her old siblings, but I had always a problem with that. I mean, come on she hasn't seen any of them in a decade except for Zack and to be honest she wasn't always glad to have him around. And as you know she has accepted unit two as her new unit. For the moment she will stay at Manticore although I can promise you she will eventually leave. But not now and not in the next chapters!**

**Second: Okay, now you know it, this is not gonna be a M/L. For those of you who fear it's gonna be a fluffy M/A I can give you the ALL-CLEAR! For now he has never been more than a friend and IF I decide in the future to make it M/A it's not gonna be one of those fluffy-and-totally-in-love things either. I just don't believe in this and I certainly don't believe in it with soldiers. Sorry to have to say that but this is speaking from my own experience. So for every hardcore M/L shipper: Sorry. I hope I won't lose any of my readers with this but the decision had to be made.**

**Third: No, this chapter does not mean I'll forget about Logan, Zack, Syl and all the other '09ers. Neither did I forget about Brin or Jace. I plan to bring them up again along with a several other suggestions you made in your reviews soon. Stick with me for one or two chapters and you'll see it.**

**I really hope to hear from all of you again although I know there have been some rather extreme decisions in this chapter.**

**And last but not least: Yes, I DO love reviews ;)**


	24. Chapter 24

YEAH! 100 reviews. I never believed I would actually get as much when I started this story, thanks to all of you, you're awesome!

**Taeniaea:** Thank you, fast as usual!

**RoseRed:** Well, I'm sorry to lose you but I just had to make my decision. Good luck and perhaps until another time.

**Divine Fighter:** I think we all knew deep in his heart Lydecker favors his kid, but we also know he's loyal to his mission and so has to maintain discipline among them. You'll see something about it in this chapter. AND you'll finally hear about Brin in the next chapter. Thanks to you, too.

**c00kieMonster:** Glad you liked it! I really think after having bonded with her unit and having been in battle with them Max would not betray them. I just wanted to make clear she will also try and not go against her old unit if possible. And for the pairing: Give me a little bit of time ;)

**JOUNOUCHI sama:** Thanks for your offer, I'll think about it.

**roseyangel:** I agree with you; that's exactly why Wolf is in PsyOps. No soldier likes everything you order him to do but being a soldier includes that whole shut-up-and-obey-thing. For Manticore having changed: I always thought the biggest mistake Manticore did in the series was to isolate their kids from the outside, not giving them information how the world out there is and preparing them for it and explaining why the children had to do all the training, drills and exercises. In one of the previous chapters it has been mentioned that the instructors started to do so after the '09 escape, so yes, I think Manticore has changed a little bit. And for the rest; they're soldiers and so not everything they're gonna have to do will be pleasant, that's just the way it is.

**452max:** Thanks again! This chapter is gonna be a little bit more quiet but don't worry, the action will start again soon. Hope you like it.

**nattylovesu:** Welcome on board! Thanks for your compliment, I hope I can keep up. And of course I hope you'll stay with me.

*********************************

**X5-154 aka Nova** The blond transgenic is the medic of unit two. She's one of the smallest X5 but nevertheless can take care of herself just fine. Other than that she's one of the X5 with the most experience in missions outside Manticore. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-194 aka Blade** Member of unit two. The Asian woman is one of the few that could actually beat her CO or her 2IC in a hand-to-hand combat. She is almost obsessed with any sort of blades and usually tries not to use firearms. Has no shark but snake DNA.

**X5-210 aka Jondy** As children Max and Jondy had been in unit one and escaped together in '09. Jondy got caught by Lydecker months before Max and has joined unit two. She is loyal to Manticore and her unit but this doesn't mean she likes everybody around the base. Eventually she even refers to Lydecker that he 'can be an asshole sometimes'. Nevertheless she chose to stay out of her free will and hopes Max will be in her unit for she deeply cares about her younger sister.

**X5-258 aka Nitro** Member of unit two. The young blond man adores every sort of vehicle. He's one of the more unsettled X5. KIA after the mission in Joliet.

**X5-301 aka Kyla** 2IC of unit two. Usually paired with Wolf during their missions. The two of them have the most experience throughout the X-series when it comes to combat missions and search and destroy and both of them are very well trained in close quarter combat and hand-to-hand fights.

**X5-367 aka Havoc** Member of unit two. The black haired and tanned transgenic is the unit's expert when it comes to explosives. He is almost as calm as 439 and is known for his subtle sense of humor. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-439 aka Artemis** Member of unit two. She's the sniper of her unit. Her rather calm and controlled self helps the others from getting out of hand too much. Like Wolf and Kyla she keeps her brown hair very short as she thinks it would hinder her otherwise.

**X5-451 aka Wolf** CO of unit two and Max's genetic brother. His intense grey eyes and very short black hair clearly let him look like the soldier he is.

**X5-494 aka Alec** Member of unit two and third in the chain of command. He has become sort the unit's unofficial leader as Wolf and Kyla often are on outside missions. He can be sort of a smart ass sometimes but he usually knows when to stop. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-526 aka Bear** Member of unit two. He's the biggest and strongest X5 in the unit and prefers heavy weapons. Nevertheless he's very gentle and almost never gets angry. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-734 aka Brin** After her return to Manticore she underwent a very brutal reindoctrination which left her brainwashed and only partly able to make independent decisions. She has been under Director Renfro's command until Renfro had to leave the Wyoming facility. Currently Brin's not part of a unit but assigned to where she's needed.

**X5-798 aka Jace** She was the only one staying behind during the '09 escape out of her free will. She's currently a member of unit five.

* * *

Logan sat in the living room of his penthouse suite looking out of the windows. The weather seemed to be a mirror to his soul; it was raining again. Bling had tried to talk him out of coming back here but Logan didn't listen. He knew his bodyguard who was presently in the kitchen was rather nervous, expecting an attack any second. Logan, on the other hand, felt rather calm.

After he had returned from Wyoming the previous day Zack and the other transgenics had disappeared just as fast as they'd made contact with him some weeks ago. He couldn't blame them, they still feared Lydecker would come after them any second and to be honest he was a little bit surprised himself that no TAC team had appeared at his door already. Perhaps the old soldier really hadn't lied when he had said Logan was not on Manticore's blacklist anymore. It appeared to be true although Logan wasn't fully convinced yet and had made preparations for a quick escape but somehow he felt he didn't have to worry about Lydecker and his myrmidons although he was sure he had angered Manticore's CO beyond words when trying again to free Max. It wasn't that he suddenly started to trust the old sadist but he began to understand his way of thinking. Lydecker was a soldier and as such he didn't just give orders, he also received them and had to follow them.

Logan allowed himself a tiny smile when thinking about the older man probably sitting in his office right now forging plans how he could finally get rid of that unnerving Eyes Only. Logan could only hope Lydecker's superiors still didn't want to see him dead or he would really be in trouble this time. But somehow he just knew he didn't have to worry at the moment.

Somebody knocked on the door and when Bling opened carefully OC and Asha entered.

"Hey" Logan said trying to smile and stood up.

"Hey suga!" OC greeted back and hugged him. "Sorry we couldn't make it earlier. Normal's been just his bright and shiny self again."

"It's okay" Logan assured her. "Hello Asha."

"Logan" the blond replied kindly. The blond S1W member had forgiven Logan about his past mistakes when she'd seen he was back to his old self again.

"What did you want to tell us?" OC wanted to know.

"We better sit down." The two women followed him to the living room sitting down and looking at him expectantly. Logan cringed invisibly. He knew they wouldn't take well what he was gonna tell them but he also knew he couldn't hide the truth – or what he and Max siblings had finally come to believe to be the truth – from them forever. Slowly he began choosing each of his words very carefully. "I asked you to come here because I'd like to tell you what happened during the last days. You will not like what you're gonna hear, especially you, Cindy, but please let me finish before you start asking questions."

Asha only made a curious face but Max's former co-worker looked at him suspiciously but finally nodded.

Logan nodded again trying to find the right words.

"As you know a few days ago I went to Wyoming. What you don't know is that Zack and some of the X5 who escaped with Max in '09 were with me. We had a plan to free her…"

For the next thirty minutes he explained to the two women exactly what he had done during the past week and what had happened. Asha looked at him with attentive curiousness but Cindy shot him dark looks from time to time; Max was her friend, her boo. She knew Logan would never have allowed her to come with him; he was the knight in shining armor and wanted to protect everybody and everything, even if they didn't want his protection. She knew and understood but she still was a little bit angry with him.

When he told them about how Max and Jondy had come to them out of their free will OC's face lit up and she wanted to shout out her joy but she quickly let go of that thought when Logan told her how that morning had finished.

"You can't be serious." She could only look at him not believing what he'd just told her. "She would never do that."

"Brainwashing?" Asha came straight to the point. It wasn't the most tactful thing to do but the blond woman had never really cared too much about being diplomatic; she usually cut straight to the case.

Logan shook his head. He had been discussing this with Max brothers and sisters during the whole journey from Wyoming to Seattle. He turned his laptop on and placed it on the small table between them so the two women would see what one of his cameras in that hotel room had captured.

The monitor showed Max and a woman in OC didn't know. They both wore some sort of black uniform. Logan and other men and women were standing around them. OC recognized Zack but the others she didn't know. They all looked at her boo like in shock.

"_I remember everything, Logan" _Even when only hearing it from the speaker of the laptop OC could hear the sadness in her best friend's voice._ "Everything. Why I escaped from Manticore the first time and Lydecker chasing me around for the last ten years, how I met OC, my time in Seattle, meeting you and all the time we spent together. They didn't make me forget."_

Upon hearing Max saying her name Cindy smiled. Perhaps all was not lost.

The scene changed and Max was talking to one of the other women in the room.

"_No, Tinga. You don't understand. I know you think we've been brainwashed and all but that's not true. We will stay here no matter what you're gonna say. Not because some scientist in PsyOps told us to but because we want to."_

Her almost happy expression turned into a worried frown. Again the scene changed and she got to see Max talking to everybody present in the small room.

"_It's not as simple as you'd like it to be. Manticore has changed, we have changed. We're not children anymore, we're soldiers. It's what we've been designed to be, it's what we are. I know you don't understand and I also know you never want to come back again, but you have to accept that Jondy and I will not leave with you. We will not betray our unit and we won't leave Manticore."_

Hearing her best friend, the girl that was as close to her as a sister, say something like that was too much for her. OC felt like somebody had just punched her. She couldn't take her eyes from the now black screen and she felt like she couldn't breathe anymore. Even Asha who knew almost nothing about Max glanced at Logan in disbelief.

"They must have brainwashed her" the blonde finally said. "No way she would say those things out of her free will!"

"No" Logan shook his head. At first he had refused to let go of that last tiny hope himself but Zane and Tinga had made it clear neither Max nor Jondy had showed any sign of somebody who had been brainwashed. Reluctantly and angrily the others – in the end even Zack – had agreed. "I talked about this with her siblings. They know about the techniques Manticore is using and they're sure Max told us the truth. Nobody is forcing her to stay there. She does so out of her free will."

"Why should she?" OC was beginning to feel frustrated and angry. "She hates it!"

"Not anymore." Logan shook his head in sadness. He'd had a lot of time to think about what had been said and done in that hotel. "She hated it when she'd been a child. But you heard it, she says it herself: She's not a child anymore, she considers herself as a soldier. You have been in the military, Cindy?"

It wasn't a question, more like stating a fact but OC nodded.

"How was basic training?" Logan asked in a neutral tone. Both women looked at him in surprise not understanding his sudden change of the topic. Nevertheless Cindy shrugged.

"Pretty rough. I certainly won't do that again."

"I can imagine." Logan nodded. "But I can only guess how it really was, because I never was in the army. I had a hard time understanding it myself but you see: All we know about Manticore is what Max has told us. And all Max knew was what she had experienced in her childhood. We don't know if Manticore has changed or not but you heard it yourself: For whatever reason she wants to stay."

Suddenly OC became very quiet.

"This can't be true!" Asha on the other hand objected. "Come on, Logan, you know there are many possibilities to make any person belief whatever you tell them."

"It's not like that. A brainwashed person gets nervous when confronted with the truth. They stumble over their own words, they are self-contradictory, their facial expression is blank" Logan recited everything Max's siblings had told him and he had found exact the same information on the internet. "You have seen and heard her; she did none of those things. She was vivid and stern and it was just…"

He seemed lost for words.

"Just Max" Cindy said quietly looking up at Logan smiling sadly but genuinely. He nodded.

"Yeah, it was Max."

For a few minutes nobody said anything, they all were lost in their own thoughts.

"You really think she wants to stay there?" It was not like Asha knew Max as well as the other two but the knowledge alone something like Manticore existed was repulsive.

"Yes, I do" Logan admitted and although he knew it was the truth he felt an almost physical pain in his heart. "She has changed, I think she really cares about her new unit and I don't think we can change that."

"I could never look at myself again if we just leave her there!" Cindy objected.

"Cindy, I know exactly how you feel" Logan said and looked at her with compassion. "But you saw the video; nobody is forcing her to stay, she does so out of her free will. I know you love her but we all have to accept her will. If we love her, we must let her decide for herself. It is her choice."

Asha nodded slowly but OC shook her head and looked past him at the wall but Logan could see although she didn't agree the younger woman started to accept the truth.

He sighed and returned his gaze to the rainy weather outside the window. While he still grieved to have lost his friend to Manticore he also knew there was a very tiny hope. He knew Lydecker would never have allowed her and Jondy to come to him and their transgenic siblings alone. They had done so on their own initiative and while he had never served Logan knew very well that had been an act of insubordination. The Max he knew hadn't disappeared completely and he hoped that perhaps one day she would decide not to be a soldier anymore and come back.

He wouldn't forget about her. He would watch Manticore closely but he wouldn't do anything for the moment. And perhaps she was right and he finally had to move on. After his absence there were certainly enough villains around by now worthy of Eyes Only's attention.

* * *

_Two weeks later_

"X5-452 reporting, sir!" Max announced her eyes straight and focused on the grey wall of Lydecker's office.

The older man looked at her for a few seconds taking in all the details of her composure. She looked much more like the soldier she actually was. Her eyes, while not blank, were focused and attentive and the way she was standing before him at attention clearly showed him she had improved.

"At ease, soldier! What do you want?"

"Sir, if possible I would like to ask you when X5-451 is going to be released from PsyOps, sir."

Not much of a surprise. Lydecker knew the last two weeks had been a difficult time for Max and Jondy. Not because their unit treated them harshly after he had to put Wolf in PsyOps because of their actions; it almost seemed to him they all understood why the two female transgenics had to do what they did. No, the unit was definitely not the problem but the two young women blamed themselves and for Max who felt even closer to Wolf due to them being almost the same on a genetic level it was even worse. Nevertheless he wanted to be sure he really knew what was on her mind.

"You know this is information I usually don't share with my subordinates. Why do you want to know that?"

"Sir, I understand you had to punish us for what 210 and I did" Max began and her voice sounded a little bit less concentrated, "But with due all your respect I don't think 451 should be in PsyOps. It should be us."

"451 decided to accept all responsibility for your and 210's actions." Lydecker looked at her pensively. "It was his decision as the commanding officer of your unit. You and your sister have to accept another sort of punishment; you will have to work under his command again after he will be released from PsyOps, always knowing that it was your decisions and your actions that put him there in the first place."

Max face remained stoic but he could see the guilt his words provoked in her eyes. He sighed.

"I didn't want to send him to reindoctrination either but this is a military unit. You know that our missions demand the highest sort of concentration and discipline or people die. I cannot and will not allow any of you to start taking your liberties whenever you want to. There are reasons for a chain of command and whoever does not accept that has to face the consequences. Soldiers do not have all the freedom the common population has and I'm not only talking about transgenic soldiers but of every man and every woman who is wears a uniform. You finally have to understand that, Max!"

She briefly looked at him when she heard him saying her name but returned her gaze to wall behind him immediately and nodded. "I understand, sir!"

"Good." He was sure she was loyal to Manticore and her unit. After all she could have left with Zack and the others and he would be chasing her again already but she had come back. Still he couldn't allow her to make exceptions in her usually class A behavior for her old unit. He hoped she really did understand that now. "X5-451 will be released from PsyOps in two weeks. Dismissed!"

"Sir!" She saluted and turned on her heel. Before she left the room she glanced back him. He didn't have to tell her that and while it meant her brother had to spend two more weeks in that hell she felt some gratitude towards the Colonel for at least she knew now he would be back soon. "Thank you."

* * *

_Two weeks later_

Kyla marched through the grey basement corridor towards the PsyOps section. Neither her body language nor her facial expression showed any of the worry she felt. Wolf would be released today and Lydecker had ordered her to take care of him. She wasn't sure what to think of that; usually an X5 who came from PsyOps got checked by the medical staff and returned to his unit. Perhaps the Old Man knew something.

She entered the reindoctrination room without hesitation.

"X5-301. I'm here to take care of X5-451" she informed the only scientist in the room.

"Yeah, I've been informed already" the blond woman replied and pointed towards the closed curtain. "He's not injured but moving will be a little bit painful for him. And you have to make sure he gets to drink enough. Any questions?"

"No, ma'am" Kyla answered briskly. Sure, the new PsyOps operators were not as brutal or even sadistic as the old ones but the transgenic still despised them.

"Good, I'll let you alone then." The woman took her papers and left.

Kyla slowly approached the closed curtain. She had flashbacks of when she had been here the last time when they had rescued Max and she still remembered how her teammate had looked back then. Almost hesitantly she opened the curtain.

He was lying on the table asleep or unconscious. He didn't look too bad. She could see no bruises, cuts or new scars on him, only on his wrists and ankles she could see blood where the restraints had been before. His hair was still cropped short, something PsyOps almost always did with the transgenics that had to come here.

When she slowly approached him he suddenly stirred on opened his eyes looking at her and she breathed a sigh of relief; he'd made it. His gaze was not a blank stare and she could see he recognized her. Nevertheless she could also see he was exhausted and the signs of the four weeks of torture were very well visible in his eyes.

"Hey", she whispered trying to smile and carefully touched his arm. "You made it, it's over. I'm here to bring you back to the barracks."

It took him a few seconds to understand what she'd said but then he nodded and Kyla could see a faint smile on his lips. Slowly and carefully she helped him to stand up and cringed when she heard him wince in pain.

'A little bit painful!' she thought and scowled. 'A little bit my ass!'

When he finally stood on his own feet she could feel it took him all the strength he had not to let himself sink to the floor. After four weeks of lying on that damned table almost 24/7 his muscles were sore and not used to the work they had to do now.

Kyla held him close with her arm around his waist and he supported himself on her with his arm around her shoulders.

"Come on" she said, "let's get out of here."

He didn't say anything, just nodded. Slowly they started to move. Out of the room every transgenic feared, through the grey corridors and towards their barracks. Kyla knew if she hadn't been an X5 she would have been in trouble. She was more dragging her partner than he walked himself and for an ordinary woman his weight would have been too much long before they would've reached their destination.

And he was in pain. He tried not to show it but she could feel him flinch from time to time, his lips were firmly pressed together and when he made a sudden movement he winced quietly.

Luckily most of the other units were out in the woods but they still came past a few transgenics and they all looked at them, some with concern but most with curiosity. Kyla shot them warning glances and they turned away quickly, well aware of her reputation. When they finally reached their unit's quarters she directed her partner to the showers. The grey gown was gone in a matter of seconds and she still held him when the hot water started flowing for she knew he would never have been able to keep standing by himself.

Her uniform was drenched within seconds but she didn't mind, just let the hot water wash over them. She knew something like that would not have been possible on the outside. The nude body of another person was a big deal to ordinary humans but here at Manticore it had never been like that. Sure, if possible they tried to maintain some sort of privacy but after all their clothes were nothing but an add-on to the soldiers beneath them. She had seen many male X5 naked already and she knew Wolf better than anybody else, so usually it was nothing special to her seeing him without clothes. This time however she felt something else, standing so close to him with her hands on his wet skin and feeling his muscles move beneath it. She mentally shook her head and forced herself to focus on her task.

When they'd finished they left the showers and soon entered his cell. Carefully she helped him to lie down onto his bed and almost instantly felt how tired he was again. The short journey from PsyOps back here had exhausted him already, but he felt better than he had in weeks and with the familiar surroundings of his cell around him and the feeling of Kyla's presence he also felt safe. After a few seconds he had already drifted off into sleep.

Kyla carefully covered his body with the thin blanket and allowed herself to watch his sleeping form for a few seconds before she was sure she wasn't needed for the moment, then quietly left his cell and went to hers were she quickly changed into a dry uniform. While doing so she thought about what she had felt in the showers and a subconscious smile stole herself on her face when she thought about how it had felt to hold his body so close to hers.

Still smiling she left her cell and went to check on him again. As soon as she had entered his quarters the smile vanished. She swore under her breath and was at his side in the blink of an eye. Wolf's eyes were still closed and he didn't make a sound but his whole body was trembling. For a moment she thought he had seizures but quickly let go of that thought. She had seen seizures before many times and this was nothing you could cure with tryptophan.

It was nothing unusual. After having been released from PsyOps the mind had to deal with what had been inflicted to body and soul and almost every transgenic dealt with it differently. Kyla knew she had trembled, too, after she had been in PsyOps in '09.

Out of instinct she climbed into bed with him. His back was pressed against her chest and she wrapped her arms around his upper body, holding him close. There was nothing worse for a soldier than the feeling to have been abandoned and she knew Wolf subconsciously – even in his sleep – still felt a little bit like that. She hoped his mind would notice her presence and allow him to calm down.

She didn't know how long they lay like that until the trembling started to die away and eventually stopped. She listened to his now even breathing but still and was grateful he seemingly was much more at peace now. She knew she should get up and leave now but she didn't. She closed her eyes and enjoyed to be so close to him again until she finally drifted off into sleep herself.

* * *

**Okay, not much Max this time, but I can promise you she will be back in the next chapter and start to kick some ass again. Unfortunately I have to warn you Renfro will be back, too.**

**For those of you who would like to see Brin or Jace: Next chapter.**

**And for those who would like to read the next chapter at all: Review please ;)**


	25. Chapter 25

**452max:** Thanks again and you're gonna find out here!

**Taeniaea:** Always there! Thank you.

**JOUNOUCHI sama:** I will see about that but I can't make any promises although I understand your point of view; Zack has never been one of my favorite characters either.

**Alan Grey:** There you are again! I wasn't sure if you would stick with me after the last chapters but I'm glad you're still here! Lydecker and Logan are gonna have a talk sooner than you think, don't worry. I know stratagem's story and I just have to say sorry for the recent delays, but RL is just a little bit more difficult at the moment than it was when I began this story. Thank you nevertheless. You'll know more about Renfro and the attackers in this and the next chapters, however you will not (yet) see big changes in Wolf's behavior as they're still 'home' and in an environment he feels safe with. But don't worry, you will see about it later. I've been thinking about letting Renfro go after Logan but at the moment I'm not sure yet I will do so. Also that episode with the killer drone has been on my mind but for the moment I think I let it be as it is. Have not definitely decided yet, however. Thanks again for your review and your opinions, keeps me on track (most of the time) and now I can finally say it:

No, this one's not gonna be M/A. They're very good friends and you'll get enough of their friendly or sometimes not so friendly bickering we all liked in the series but I will not let them come together in this story.

* * *

When he woke up his mind was all foggy and unfocused. It was something he didn't experience often for he rarely slept and when he did he almost always woke up quickly just like the soldier he had been since the very first day of his life. Not this time, however. It took him a few seconds to register the familiar surroundings of his own cell. He was lying in his own bed again. Slowly the memories of the previous day started to float back into his conscious mind. The release from PsyOps, Kyla helping him get back here, the shower…

When he thought about that he couldn't help but smile remembering his partner's actions and concern. Almost fully awake now he tried to get up but found out he couldn't as something was holding him around the chest. He quickly suppressed the feeling of a rising panic. He wasn't in PsyOps anymore and this certainly didn't feel like the restraints he had felt during the last four weeks. He frowned when he got aware of a warm body snuggled up against his own. He turned around trying not to make a sound.

When he recognized who he was sharing his bunk with he grinned. Kyla had her eyes still closed and despite all his moving and shifting she was still asleep. This made him realize how tired she must have been and he looked at his sleeping partner in concern. But not for long. She looked fine and he admired her even features which looked much more peaceful in her sleep than when she was awake. And more beautiful. He chuckled quietly when he caught himself thinking about that and now she suddenly woke up. Her green eyes met his grey ones and for a long time neither of them said anything or even moved, they just were lost in each other's eyes and both transgenics felt a calm happiness and safety.

Just like him she didn't wake up at once but kept looking at him sleepily and for the first seconds almost confused. When she realized where she was and what had happened she looked at him with sudden worry and Wolf could see barely suppressed fear in her eyes.

"What…" she began but got cut off when he sealed her lips with his own. After her first surprise she almost immediately relaxed and responded to his soft touch. Gods, how she had missed him!

When they broke the kiss after a long time she could see a strange mixture of seriousness and amusement in his eyes.

"Don't worry" he whispered quietly, "I'm okay."

She looked at him and still she could see the aftermath of PsyOps but she could also see they hadn't broken and destroyed him. He was still Wolf, not some brainwashed and simple-minded drone. With this fear and her strain finally gone she suddenly felt tears in her eyes and she pressed herself against him as hard as she could trying to hide her moist eyes from him.

"I missed you!" she whispered in a hoarse voice.

"I missed you, too" he admitted.

No more words were needed. They knew each other since they could remember. Kyla had been afraid to lose him to PsyOps, that she would never see the true Wolf again and he had been afraid that he would never see her again at all. But it was over now, he had made it and they were back together. It was all they needed to know even if their conscious minds didn't fully understand what their actions towards each other really meant.

"What did they do to you?" she suddenly asked. She knew she shouldn't; it would be better to give him some time but she wanted to know, she wanted to help him.

He sighed heavily and she could feel it was hard for him to even think about it.

"The laser" he finally stated.

"Did they make you…" she hesitated for a moment almost dreading his answer, "…forget?"

"No" he shook his head. "I remember everything. First they came up with different scenarios of what could have happened that night when I let Max and Jondy go. It wasn't pretty. We are soldiers. We've been born and will die as soldiers. First of all we have to think about our mission and our unit, that's something I haven't always focused on in the last months. They made me remember."

'_They made me remember.'_ He said it in a calm and controlled voice but Kyla remembered very well how painful that procedure was. The laser itself didn't hurt but the mind tried to protect itself out of instinct and while the body was not injured the brain received false information about injuries and pain. She knew it was agonizing.

"I'm sorry" she whispered finally speaking out loud what had been tormenting her since the night he had left. "I was afraid I had lost you."

"You haven't" he assured her softly. "I'm still the same. They just showed me that when it comes to tactical decisions I have to be a soldier first."

She nodded seemingly much calmer now and the lay together in comfortable silence.

"Kyla?" he asked quietly after they had rested like that for some minutes.

"Hm?"

"I think I should put some clothes on, what do you think?"

She laughed quietly against his chest and that sound alone made him grin happily. Yes, things were definitely going to be alright again.

They got up and he quickly put on a black uniform similar to hers.

"Where are the others?"

She glanced at her watch. "Probably in the mess."

"Good, I'm hungry as a hunter" he said with a wry smile. "Let's go."

* * *

Max poked around in her food without any real appetite. She was sitting in Manticore's mess with her unit and most of the other X5s but while the others ate she couldn't help but not feeling hungry at all. Wolf had been released yesterday, that she knew, but until now she hadn't seen him and his cell had been closed when she'd come past it this morning.

It bothered her not to know where he was and what was going on but at the same time she felt a little bit anxious how he would react to her and Jondy when she would see him again.

"Stop looking like your cat died, Max" Nova said. "Kyla's with him, he'll be okay."

"Am I that obvious?"

"Can't say you're making a big secret out of it" Bear mumbled. Both women shot him a warning glare. "What? Just because I'm bigger than you two doesn't mean I'm stupid!"

"Kids" Alec said with mock annoyance in his voice, "behave!"

"Sure, daddy!" Nova retorted.

Alec just shook his head and returned his attention to his meal but Max couldn't help but notice that he had been grinning like mad the whole morning just like he knew something she and the others didn't.

"Speak of the devil!" Blade suddenly exclaimed. Everybody looked at her and then followed her gaze. A split second later the whole unit was on their feet. There they were!

Wolf and Kyla had entered the mess and made their way towards them. Almost the whole mess had become quiet everybody noticing the arrival of the two transgenics. Most of the other X5 just acknowledged Wolf's return but there were many who smiled quietly and nodded to him; they all knew about his reputation and most of all the other units' COs were glad to have him back as they knew about his skills and combat experience.

When the two transgenics finally got to their unit's table they all embraced Wolf in a fraternal hug one after the other welcoming him back. They knew nothing more was possible at the moment as they were observed by the always present security cameras. Jondy and Max were the last to welcome their CO and when he turned towards them they looked at him with incertitude. He just smiled and shook his head before he embraced them.

"It's okay" he assured them quietly. "Don't worry."

They didn't look fully convinced but felt a little bit better. After Wolf had gotten himself a tray with food and started to eat the conversations returned almost to the normal and of course they all wanted to know how he felt and what had been going on, but everybody tried not to sound too curious. He answered their questions as good as he could. He understood they wanted to know what had happened to him but also tried not to think about the past four weeks too intensely. He also noticed Jondy and Max kept looking at him with wary eyes but he decided to talk to them later. Finally Max spoke up and her question almost startled him a little bit.

"Where have you been after you've been released yesterday? None of us has seen you or Kyla after she came to get you out of PsyOps and this morning your cell was closed, too."

Wolf briefly looked at Kyla and was trying to decide what to answer when Alec suddenly chuckled. Everybody at the table looked at him in surprise.

"What's so funny?" Artemis demanded to know.

"Ah, nothing much" he replied and looked at his CO and 2IC with an amused expression. "I just came past Wolf's cell this morning and decided it would be best if somebody closed the door before any of you would see what I saw."

Everybody looked at him in confusion.

"Would you please say this again in a way somebody could actually understand what you're trying to tell us?" Havoc asked.

"Let's just say our two top dogs finally got through their thick skulls what they mean to each other."

"In English!" Blade growled annoyed.

"Oh, for god's sake, they lay in his bunk together!" Despite his choice of words Alec's voice was quiet so only his unit would hear what he said.

Everybody looked first at him in disbelief, then at Wolf and Kyla who currently shot daggers at their third in command. After a few seconds Blade shrugged.

"About damned time" the Asian X5 stated simply and returned her attention to her meal. Her teammates grinned fully agreeing with her after the first shock of Alec's announcement had worn off.

"It was not like that!" Wolf objected but the grinning faces told him it was a futile attempt. 'Alec, you're a dead man!'

Suddenly he got aware of Major Coleman making his way towards him and stood up.

"X5-451, at your command, sir!" he announced.

"At ease, 451 and welcome back." The instructor had an honest smile on his face when he saw his soldier had made it. "How are you?"

"Good, sir."

"Excellent. I have new orders for all of you."

Upon hearing this the whole unit stood up and gathered around their instructor.

"451, you have to go to the medical wing, Doc Cottle wants to check you first before we send you out again. After this the whole unit has to report to the Colonel in classroom seven in two hours. I don't know what's it going to be about but I suggest that in the meantime you prepare your equipment."

"Understood, sir" Wolf replied. "Anything else?"

"Nothing. Dismissed!"

"You heard it!" he said to his teammates and Max couldn't help but notice his voice and behavior were almost like it had been back in Seattle when she had been captured. He was still the Wolf they knew but apparently PsyOps had done a good job in reminding him that he was first of all a soldier. "Go start packing and I will see to get my medical clearance. Meeting in classroom seven in one hour fifty minutes!"

* * *

"_Are you sure about that?"_ the male voice asked sounding skeptically. _"The last encounter cost us a whole team."_

"I gave you the information about the Joliet operation as soon as I could" Renfro replied into her phone while looking out of the windows of her office in Washington D.C. "There's nothing I can do about it if you didn't get it in time."

"_Careful, Elizabeth"_ the man warned her sternly. _"The council is still a little bit angry for your past failures."_

"I know" she tried to sound friendlier. "But Joliet as been partly successful after all and this time Lydecker wants to dispatch an entire unit again. I don't know about the specifics yet but as it looks to me they're going to attack several of our bases in Europe. This could be a perfect opportunity to capture one or even several X5. That's even better than in Joliet because as far as I know Lydecker has almost no contacts in Europe."

"_True. And what about Lydecker himself?"_

"His position is already weakened. The committee has grown suspicious about his relationship to the X-series. If we manage to turn this operation into a disaster we might be able to get rid of him once and for all."

"_I have to ask the council about this. You'll hear from us."_

The line went dead and Elizabeth Renfro put her cell phone away. The look in her eyes was one of pure and dangerous joy. She grinned almost madly when she thought about how soon she would possibly have her revenge.

* * *

As soon as Wolf and his unit entered the classroom they got aware of the two X5 already standing behind their chairs. One was X5-798 or Jace as Max had called her, the other one was 734 who's name had been Brin before PsyOps had stripped that memory – almost every memory to be correct – from her mind.

He didn't show how much he didn't like them to be there; it almost certainly meant they would be on his team for this mission and he didn't want them to. Unit two was fine as it was. They had everything the needed from a sniper to a demolition specialist and a medic. Hell, since Max and Jondy were on the team they had even had two transgenics who were ingenious with computers.

He wasn't given much time to think about that because Lydecker entered just when he had reached his usual position in the front row.

"Be seated!" he ordered and the twelve transgenics obeyed. "First of all, welcome back, 451. You all know 734 and 798, they're gonna be on your team for this mission."

Wolf internally frowned. Sometimes he hated it to be correct most of the time.

"Our scientific division has identified the men that attacked you in Joliet." Once again the screen behind Lydecker came to life and showed the faces of the men unit two had killed during the mission near Chicago. The next image however showed them something else, something that looked like a human upper arm only sliced open. Despite all the blood that could be seen on the picture the transgenics could make out something metallic where the bone should have been.

"When we dissected them the scientists found out that several body modifications had been made. Some of their bones have been reinforced with metal just like you see it on this picture. Several modifications have been made to their nervous system and their muscular structure. That's why they were much stronger and able to move faster than an ordinary human being." Lydecker stopped for a second trying to find out how his kids took the news. None of them moved but he could see they followed his explanations with the highest attention. He had read the reports and even when only reading about the battle that had taken place back then it had become clear that while Nitro's dead had been tragic his children could have easily lost more lives to the unknown attackers. "These modifications however are nothing genetic. Everything we found out until now is the result of bioengineering."

"Sir, are you talking about some sort of cyborg?" Wolf suddenly asked. "And if yes who would have the knowledge and the resources to perform such modifications?"

"It's possible to see it like that, yes" Lydecker answered the question. "Manticore has tried to come up with some kind of similar augmentations during the last years but until now we have not been successful. There are several other fractions that have the resources to try something like that but we contacted all of them and until now it looks like they're clean. So for now we don't know yet who exactly is behind this."

He could almost see how a mixture of frustration and anger flared up in twelve pairs of eyes; the feral side of the transgenic soldiers had already been preparing itself for another hunt and now he was telling them he didn't have a target.

"We do however know about several locations where some of the men you killed in Joliet have been seen before they entered the United States; that's where you will go. Recon mission. We need to know who is behind his, what their objectives are and if this hostile force is a threat to us. 494, 210, 452, 734 and 798: You will go to Montpellier, a village in the south of France. You will get more detailed information before you leave."

Alec, Jondy and Max nodded as well as Brin and Jace. Max could tell Alec wasn't too happy to have the two women from other units in his team but she was looking forward to spend some time with the members of her old unit. She hadn't had much chance to talk to Jace and had almost had no contact to Brin.

"154, 194, 367, 439 and 526" Lydecker continued, "your target location is Edinburgh. You'll get detailed information later, too."

Nova, Blade, Havoc, Artemis and Bear nodded silently.

"Are there any questions?" As usual nobody said anything. "Good. Now remember, you will be on recon missions in foreign countries, so try to avoid contact with the enemy. You won't have any sort of backup out there and if you get caught we probably won't be able to help you. If there are no questions you can start with your preparations now. Both teams will leave in four hours. 451 and 301 stay in here, the rest of you: Dismissed!"

Without a word the ten soldiers stood up and left the room but Lydecker didn't miss their curious and surprised glances towards him, Wolf and Kyla. Of course, it was more than just unusual that he hadn't assigned them to a team, they had the most experience in this sort of operation, but what he had to tell them was just too risky to say out loud while the others – first of all Brin – were still around.

When the doors were closed again Lydecker turned towards the two waiting soldiers.

"451, 301: What I will tell you now has to stay in this room!"

* * *

_48 hours later – Montpellier, France_

The hot sun of southern France felt good on her skin and Max felt glad once again she had been on the team that went to Montpellier instead to the rainy and cold Edingburgh. They had landed yesterday and had just finished preparing their improvised command center. Now Alec, who was in charge of this mission, had sent her, Jace and Jondy out to do some scouting.

The three young women were dressed like common tourists and walked through the picturesque Old Town of the city stopping here and there to look at the shop windows.

"_You know that you're suggested to do recon and not shopping"_ they suddenly heard Brin over wireless. The Asian was somewhere behind them to provide cover if necessary.

"We do, Brin" Jace answered into her hidden micro with a hint of annoyance in her voice, "don't worry."

"_It's 734!"_ The answer was brisk and cold before the connection was terminated.

The three women looked at each other and sighed.

"That woman is an iceberg" Jondy said quietly and Max could clearly hear the sadness in her voice. They had known their sister had changed but seeing how extreme the change was had been hard.

"What do you expect?" Jace asked. "PsyOps has practically destroyed her personality."

"Don't think about it too much" Max said. It pained her too to see Brin like that but she also knew they had to focus on their task. If their enemies – if they were there at all – surprised them they wouldn't stand a chance. "We'll deal with that later."

And Brin had a point; there were enough things that could distract an ordinary woman. Europe had not been hit as badly by the Pulse as the American continent and although for some years life had also been extremely rough to say the least it seemed like good old Europe had almost fully recovered from the hard years and there were certainly enough things in the stores that would make an average girl more than just interested and the three female transgenics were more than able to display the image of curious tourist girls. Behind their black sunglasses however their eyes were searching the streets and windows for any suspicious sign but although they slowly approached their destination there was no sign of those weird men who apparently had been turned into walking cyborgs.

They casually walked past the house in which Manticore's intelligence division suspected their new enemies Max couldn't see anything that would indicate that a bunch of walking spare parts storages was living there. She cursed silently and looked at Jondy. Her sister flashed her a wry smile and both had the same thought.

Not another wall-climbing night!

* * *

_At the same time – Airport of Geneva, Switzerland_

Wolf and Kyla were standing in the huge terminal of the airport waiting for their contact to arrive. They wore civilian clothing and if it hadn't been for their extremely short hair and attentive eyes they would have looked just like the other people around them.

"Don't tell me they forgot about us!" Kyla growled quietly and shot her partner an annoyed glance when she heard him chuckle. Before she was able to tell him what she thought of his behavior however a tall and slender yet well trained man approached them. He was about their age and wore dark blue jeans and a black jacket but if the haircut of his dark brown hair which was similar to theirs would not have been enough the friendly but attentive look in his eyes and the way he moved would have been enough to tell her he was military.

"Captain Anderson?" the young man asked when he was close enough. Wolf nodded; it was the name he would be known under for this mission. "So you must be Lieutenant Myers?"

Kyla nodded and decided that she would perhaps be able to like this one. Straightforward and concentrated. His English was almost perfect and even she had to listen carefully to hear some accent.

"Welcome to my country" the young man continued. "I'm Lieutenant Linder, your contact. Please follow me."

The two transgenics grabbed their bags and followed the young soldier who led them out of the terminal and onto the airfield again. All the way Kyla noticed how the young officer's eyes searched his surroundings for any sort of possible danger and she had to acknowledge he did it in a way nobody would notice it if not very well trained. Yes, she was definitely going to like this one.

When on the airfield again they approached a helicopter with military camouflage painting; she recognized it as an EC 725 Cougar, a transport helicopter for short and medium range. Two soldiers in dark green camouflage uniforms watched them approach attentively but relaxed and opened the door as soon as Lieutenant Linder gave them a short nod.

Not a minute later the helicopter took off towards the east. The Lieutenant and the two soldiers didn't try and talk to the two American officers and so Wolf had a lot of time to think. When they were over Lake Geneva and quickly approached the Alps he thought back to the conversation that had taken place after his team had left that classroom.

* * *

**For all of you who wanted to see some action in this chapter: **

**1. sorry**

**2. the fight (at least part of it) will be in the next chapter. Haven't decided yet but perhaps there will be character death. Not to shock but to warn you.**

**And then again some motivation in the form of reviews would be nice (very subtle, I know;))**


	26. Chapter 26

**JOUNOUCHI sama:** I have been thinking about it. Coming later, promise!

**c00kieMonster:** Sorry about the last cliffie, I just love them *gg* You'll see about Lydecker's plan in this chapter and I hope you like although I'm quite sure you're gonna hate me for the next cliffhanger ;)

**Taeniaea:** Thanks again!

**Divine Fighter:** Thanks to you, too. You'll see more about Renfro and Brin in this chapter but I'm afraid you won't like Wolf as much as you usually do. Don't kill me, you'll get more about it later.

**roseyangel:** Alec alone on a mission with four women? That can't be good! No, just kidding, he'll behave :)

**tylee17:** There you are! Haven't heard from you in some time, welcome back!! As I said before, I'm always glad when a reader points out where there seem to be problems. About Logan: Sorry, but I had to make it clear Max wants to stay at Manticore. It's something you don't read very often so I can very well understand you think about there goodbye to be abrupt. About Max: I can see your point and I must say you're partially right. I'll try to show you in this chapter what she's thinking concerning that special topic and I hope I'll get it right. You sure don't have to tell me soldiers usually are allowed to have families ;) but remember, it's Manticore. They are sometimes acting inhumanly but for most of their superiors the end justifies the means. And for the BSG-thing: I just liked the colonial way of believing in several deities, you'll see about the transgenics' beliefs later. I really am glad to see you back and I hope you'll find enough time to read this chapter, too. Thanks!

**452max:** Updating as fast as I can ;) hope you like it!

**********************

char list

**X5-154 aka Nova** The blond transgenic is the medic of unit two. She's one of the smallest X5 but nevertheless can take care of herself just fine. Other than that she's one of the X5 with the most experience in missions outside Manticore. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-194 aka Blade** Member of unit two. The Asian woman is one of the few that could actually beat her CO or her 2IC in a hand-to-hand combat. She is almost obsessed with any sort of blades and usually tries not to use firearms. Has no shark but snake DNA.

**X5-210 aka Jondy** As children Max and Jondy had been in unit one and escaped together in '09. Jondy got caught by Lydecker months before Max and has joined unit two. She is loyal to Manticore and her unit but this doesn't mean she likes everybody around the base. Eventually she even refers to Lydecker that he 'can be an asshole sometimes'. Nevertheless she chose to stay out of her free will and hopes Max will be in her unit for she deeply cares about her younger sister.

**X5-258 aka Nitro** Member of unit two. The young blond man adores every sort of vehicle. He's one of the more unsettled X5. KIA after the mission in Joliet.

**X5-301 aka Kyla** 2IC of unit two. Usually paired with Wolf during their missions. The two of them have the most experience throughout the X-series when it comes to combat missions and search and destroy and both of them are very well trained in close quarter combat and hand-to-hand fights. Over the years she has developed a strong affection towards Wolf but being soldiers first and inexperienced with this kind of emotions none of them has had the courage to make the next step yet.

**X5-367 aka Havoc** Member of unit two. The black haired and tanned transgenic is the unit's expert when it comes to explosives. He is almost as calm as 439 and is known for his subtle sense of humor. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-439 aka Artemis** Member of unit two. She's the sniper of her unit. Her rather calm and controlled self helps the others from getting out of hand too much. Like Wolf and Kyla she keeps her brown hair very short as she thinks it would hinder her otherwise.

**X5-451 aka Wolf** CO of unit two and Max's genetic brother. Just like his partner Kyla he had been developed for combat operations. His intense grey eyes and very short black hair clearly let him look like the soldier he is and his knowledge about almost any sort of combat makes him a deadly enemy. Over the years he has developed a strong affection towards Kyla but being soldiers first and inexperienced with this kind of emotions none of them has had the courage to make the next step yet.

**X5-494 aka Alec** Member of unit two and third in the chain of command. He has become sort the unit's unofficial leader as Wolf and Kyla often are on outside missions. He can be sort of a smart ass sometimes but he usually knows when to stop. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-526 aka Bear** Member of unit two. He's the biggest and strongest X5 in the unit and prefers heavy weapons. Nevertheless he's very gentle and almost never gets angry. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-734 aka Brin** After her return to Manticore she underwent a very brutal reindoctrination which left her brainwashed and only partly able to make independent decisions. She has been under Director Renfro's command until Renfro had to leave the Wyoming facility. Currently Brin's not part of a unit but assigned to where she's needed.

**X5-798 aka Jace** She was the only one staying behind during the '09 escape out of her free will. She's currently a member of unit five.

* * *

"_451, 301: What I will tell you now has to stay in this room! I haven't assigned you to a team because your mission is unofficial. And I mean totally unofficial. Not even the committee knows about it. During the last months some of our missions have been compromised, you know about the Joliet mission, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. Recon missions were discovered, some of our targets suddenly vanished as soon as we moved to take them out and so on. I am afraid there is a traitor among us and it has to be someone who is sitting at the top of the food chain, that's why nobody outside this room knows where you will be going. Nobody knows you will be deployed at all, to be correct. We found out about a third location where our new friends have been operating from; a small town called Saint-Vincent in the north of Italy near Aoste. I've contacted an old friend, he knows you're coming and he has agreed to help us. Don't anger him; he sometimes has a short temper. I want you to go there, infiltrate their base and capture as much information as you can. If possible try to avoid contact with the enemy but be prepared for a fight. I know how this has to sound for you but there is no other possibility. We need to know who is behind this and if I make it an official mission our enemy will disappear before you even arrive or worse. I'm asking a lot of you two, I know about that, but you're the most experienced operators we have and I trust you to accomplish even this sort of difficult operation. Good hunting and most of all good luck!"_

Wolf had an unpleasant feeling in his stomach when thinking about their mission briefing Lydecker had given them. This was the blackest sort of black ops, even for Manticore. He knew if they got caught there would be no help, no rescue team. The Colonel himself would most likely be put under arrest and he and Kyla would be forgotten or worse. He looked at his partner and could tell from the look on her face she was having the same thoughts. Nevertheless she smiled reassuringly at him and he nodded.

"Captain!" Lieutenant Linder shouted over the noise of the helicopter's engine, "one minute!"

Wolf nodded and looked out of the small window but all he could see were a few trees and the rocky surface of the Alps. The Cougar helicopter suddenly came to a halt and was now hovering about fifteen meters over the ground and slowly started to decline.

"No offence, Lieutenant" Wolf shouted back, "but where are we supposed to land? I can't see a landing place out there."

"Well, that's the trick in it, sir!" the young man grinned. Before Wolf could reply anything the ground beneath them suddenly moved and what had looked like a solid plate of granite turned out to be a carefully camouflaged hangar roof that now opened up. Both transgenics watched in surprise as the helicopter declined further and landed inside a huge hall nobody would even suspect to be there when looking at that mountain from the outside. The noise from the engine slowly died away and Linder opened the door and jumped out.

"Welcome to Fortress Delta, sir, ma'am" he said with a satisfied grin.

"Thank you, Lieutenant" Wolf replied when he had excited the helicopter and looked around. There were four more Cougar helicopters standing in the hangar, some technicians and soldiers moving around them.

He got aware of an older officer approaching them. When he was close enough Linder snapped at attention, saluted and said something in a language that sounded remotely like German. The older man just nodded and turned towards the two X5.

"Welcome to Fortress Delta, Captain, Lieutenant" he greeted them and while polite both transgenics could hear the raw undertone of a war-torn soldier in his voice. Wolf watched the older man closely and understood now what Lydecker had meant when he had said that they better not angered him. Colonel Meyer, former French Legionary, veteran of Mogadishu and Bagdad and one of the few surviving defenders of Chur during the Russian-European war; this man was considered a hero in this country. And like most heroes he had seen more than enough of war. "My name is Colonel Meyer, I'm the commanding officer of this fortress. I have already been informed of your arrival by your superior. The mission briefing is in six hours, until then I suggest you take some rest and eat something. Lieutenant Linder will show you your quarters. If you have any questions, ask him. You have to excuse me now, but we are a little bit busy at the moment."

He turned towards Linder and the young man saluted again before the Colonel left.

"Sir, ma'am" he then addressed the two transgenics. "Follow me please and try not to get lost. Fortress Delta is a maze."

"Is he always like that?" Kyla asked while they followed the young officer out of the underground hangar.

"What? The Colonel?"

She nodded.

"Most of the time, but you get used to it. We are lucky to have him as our CO."

After that nobody said anything while the trio made its way through the labyrinth of corridors and caverns. It was a military base, no doubt about that, but it almost seemed to be a small city, too. They came past quarters, storage rooms, a mess…she couldn't help it but somehow it reminded her of her own home back in Wyoming although some of the corridors they came through were definitely very old, over thirty years, while others looked just like the grey corridors in Manticore's headquarter. She had known this kind of bunker existed but had never been in one before. Many of them had been built at the time of the Second World War; they were old, yes, but history had proved they still were dangerous. During the Russian-European war in 2014 after having been stopped in the north of Europe by German and British forces Russian tank and infantry divisions had broken through the Austrian defenses and had tried to pass through Switzerland to attack the northern Italian defense lines and the NATO's airfields. The heavy artillery and defense capabilities of the dozens of bunkers in the Alps just like this one had stopped the Russian attack and after having sustained high losses the Russian commanders had decided to abandon their immediate attack and move further to the south which had cost them time and manpower.

After some minutes they came past a section that seemed to be different from the others. From one corridor came the smell of antiseptic, sweat and fear and she caught a glimpse of a long white corridor and two soldiers who dragged a young man about her age through it. She stopped dead in her tracks. He looked very weak and exhausted but she couldn't see any injuries. She felt a cold shiver run down her spine. This looked just like…!

"Lieutenant!" The sharp voice of Lieutenant Linder brought her back to reality. He looked at her and his usually gentle eyes were cold as ice. "You are our guests, but there are some things that are not meant for your eyes!"

After a few seconds she nodded and caught up with Wolf and the young officer again. She briefly looked at her partner but his expression alone told her he had seen just the same things she had. Shortly afterwards they reached their quarters.

"It isn't much" Linder said almost apologetically. Two beds, two lockers and a small table with a reading lamp. It looked similar to the quarters they had back home at Manticore. "We're not used to have visitors."

"It's alright, Lieutenant" Wolf assured him.

"Very well. If you need anything: My own quarters are just at the end of the corridor."

"We'll be fine, thank you."

"Sir, ma'am!" The young officer saluted and left the room closing the door behind.

When they were alone Kyla immediately turned towards her partner.

"What the hell was that?"

"I don't know and I don't care." His voice was tense.

"Come on!" she exclaimed. "It looked just like…"

"Kyla!" he interrupted her sharply. "I know what you've seen but stop thinking about it! It's none of our business. This fortress is not our mission! We have about five hours until we have to prepare for the briefing and I suggest we use that time."

Kyla looked at him for a few seconds with a harsh response on her lips but she finally nodded. She knew he was right and if she was honest he didn't act differently than he had during all those years she had known him before they'd found Max. After all it was the Wolf she had known since they'd been children; focused, straightforward and when in the field an uncompromising soldier and officer. She actually liked those characteristics but perhaps she needed some time to fully acknowledge her old partner was back. Still he was right and she knew it. It was none of their business and there surely was nothing they could do about it.

Still she couldn't stop thinking about that bright corridor while she started unpacking her bag. Back home was a place where she always had the same feeling she had felt a few minutes ago, only its walls were not white, back home they were grey.

PsyOps.

* * *

"I really could get used to this kind of mission" Jondy sighed and took another sip from her coffee. It was early in the evening and they were sitting in a coffee shop near the building they would enter in a few hours.

"Don't let Coleman or Lydecker hear that" Alec grinned. "Otherwise you'll be sent to Russia next time."

"Don't say their names, 494!" Brin hissed. "We're in the public."

"And you don't use my designation while we're out here" Alec warned her sounding only a little bit reprehensive but Max saw the look in his eyes and decided it was time to step in.

"Jondy, Brin? Up for a walk?"

"Sure" Jondy quickly agreed and stood up. She had felt the rising tension, too. Brin on the other side looked at Alec and waited until her temporary CO nodded before she got up herself.

The three women left the small coffee shop and walked through the streets of the old town without a real goal. After a while Max finally said out loud what had been on her mind since this mission had started.

"Do you really not remember anything, Brin? I mean, before you started working for Renfro."

"Like what?" The first time Max had almost flinched upon hearing her sister's unemotional voice but by now she was almost used to it.

"Your time outside Manticore, the escape" Max continued "our old unit."

"No!"

"I don't believe you" Jondy said looking at her Asian sister. "You very well remembered your own name, _Brin_!"

Brin pressed her lips together but didn't say anything. She had known from the beginning a conversation like this one was bound to happen but she was determined to end it quickly. Whenever she had allowed herself to think back about how it had been before she had been caught the scientists in PsyOps had used some new kind of torture on her. She had forced herself to forget and whenever just one tiny bit of memory threatened to work its way back into her consciousness she had forced it back into the dark abyss where she hid all of former life. It had been painful at first but now she knew it was better like that. She was a soldier; she didn't need memories of emotions, of her relation to her siblings. She didn't need anything than the information that could be useful to her in a tactical way.

"Brin", Max said again her voice soft and almost soothing. "It's us, Max and Jondy. You can trust us. We've always trusted each other, don't you remember?"

"I don't need those memories" Brin finally said angrily. "And neither do you. They just make you weak and unfocused!"

"But they also tell us who we are."

"We're soldiers. We are transgenic commando units." Brin sounded more aggressive now but at the same time she could feel how her defenses got weaker with every word her two fellow X5 said. She couldn't allow that to happen, she had to stay strong. She was X5-734, nothing else. "That's what we are and that's all I ever wanted to be."

"Didn't look like that to me when I last saw you with Zane" Jondy casually said. Brin stopped dead in her tracks, her body frozen and her face a mask of silent shock.

"Brin?" Max asked alarmed. She and Jondy had stopped, too, and both looked at their older sister worried about the sudden change in her behavior. "Brin, talk to us!"

"Zane" the Asian X5 whispered her voice not cold anymore but hoarse and Max cringed upon hearing the suppressed emotions. "I remember him."

"Oh, Brin" Max exclaimed sadly and full of joy at the same time and embraced her sister into a tight hug. Jondy was quick to follow her example. Max could feel how Brin fought to keep up her composure and she felt a wave of anger rush through her when she thought about that witch Renfro who was the cause of all that pain.

After a few seconds Brin took a step back and looked at her siblings. Max could see it wasn't the Brin that she had known once but it wasn't the brainwashed drone anymore either.

"I'm sorry" Jondy said quietly. "I didn't want to hurt you."

"I know" the Asian X5 said and Max's face lit up in joy when she saw her older sister's lips curl up into a tiny smile. It was gone in the blink of an eye but Max knew she had seen it. Brin tried to look like the cold and controlled X5 again but her eyes were not empty anymore; Max could see some tiny bit of her sister had found its way back to life. "If you don't mind I would like to go back."

Their way back to the coffee shop was quiet. Max and Jondy kept looking at their older sibling with a mixture of calm happiness and slight worry but Brin was too occupied to notice any of it. Jondy mentioning Zane had been like somebody had opened the floodgates, like his name had been the code to unlock the barriers to her past. Even if she had wanted to she wouldn't have been able to hold back all the memories and emotions that were flowing through her mind right now and although she didn't understand all of it yet and felt more confused than ever before she also didn't want to. It was like she finally began to live again and she didn't want that feeling to stop.

When Alec saw them approaching he waved for the waiter and paid the bill. Just when the three women arrived he and Jace got up and joined them.

"There you are" the only male transgenic in the group said. He looked at Brin and frowned but said nothing as he saw the small sign Max gave him. "We have to go back to the apartment and prepare. Let's go."

When they started to walk towards where they had set up their improvised command center Max signaled him to stay back a little bit. They waited until they were about ten meters behind Jondy, Brin and Jace before Alec quietly spoke up.

"Max, what's going on with Brin?"

"I don't know exactly" she whispered back. "Jondy mentioned Zane – X5-205 – it looks like that made her start to remember."

"Whoa, wait a minute!" he exclaimed loud enough for Jace to hear it and look back but continued in a more quiet voice, "you mean: Remember like: Remember what PsyOps made her forget? That's impossible!"

"Apparently not."

"Do you have any idea what that means? If that's true she's not operational anymore!"

"The hell she isn't!" Why did he always have to do that? It was a good thing Brin finally got past those barriers PsyOps had put in her mind. "She'll be fine!"

"Max" he insisted, "calm down. I know how you feel about her and please don't misunderstand me. If she gets past what PsyOps has done to her I will just be as glad as you are but you know yourself how you felt after PsyOps and she has been reindoctrinated far more intensely than anybody else I can remember. I can't let her go into that house like that. What if she has a breakdown while you are in there?"

Max sighed deeply. She hadn't thought about that.

"You're right" she admitted. "Can't you give her something else to do? If we treat her like she is weak and not functioning at the moment she'll retreat again. Please?"

"Stop giving me that puppy look" he tried to defend himself but knew it was futile. And Max was right after all. He really would be glad if 734 got her memory back. Sure she was from another unit but she was an X5 too and nobody deserved what had been done to her. "Alright, I'll find something. But that stays between us! It's not the standard procedure. Don't tell the Colonel or he'll have my ass."

"Always worried about your precious backside, hm?" She gave him a mock flirting glance but feeling grateful at the same time.

"Yeah, as if it would be your problem" he snorted. At that moment a man in black leather clothing drove past them on a motorcycle. Max stopped and looked after him and Alec didn't like the look he suddenly saw in her eyes. "Max, everything alright? Max?"

"Huh?" She seemingly hadn't heard his question.

"I asked if you're alright. You looked like you just saw a ghost."

"It's nothing. It's just…" she trailed of and cursed silently. She really treasured Alec's friendship but why did he have to know her that well all the time? "Before I came back to Manticore I had one of those motorcycles myself. I really liked it. I guess I just had some kind of flashback."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"It's just…I know we're soldiers and all and I don't have a problem with that. It's what we've been designed to be and what we live for but…it would be nice to be somebody else sometimes. Not for long, just a day or two." She looked at him almost timidly. "You're not gonna tell this anybody, right? Wolf would be furious as hell."

To her surprise Alec chuckled slightly but looked at her with a calm seriousness. "I've known your brother for a lot longer than you. He would understand, don't worry. And I understand it, too. You're not the first one to have thoughts like that. Sometimes I'm wondering myself what it would be like to just lay down our burden and be ordinary humans."

She looked at him with a mixture of slight surprise and understanding. It was not often she got to see this serious and thoughtful side of the usually cocky X5. So she wasn't alone with this sort of thought. She felt relieved.

"Our lives are dedicated to combat and military operations. We've been trained to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves and as long as we have to we will continue to be soldiers. But you shouldn't only think about that, at least not when we're at home and safe. It does you no good, believe me." Max looked at him and she could see he spoke from his own experience. "You should also think about the good things. You have a unit who cares about you, a family who understands you. And you have Wolf. Your brother would die to protect you."

"I know" she replied in a grave voice, "but I don't want to think about it."

"I understand. Just keep in mind that none of us is just all about killing and achieving military objectives all the time. Almost all of us wonder from time to time what it would be like if we wouldn't have to be soldiers anymore. I'm almost sure even Wolf and Kyla have thought about this, too" he continued seriously. "And who knows, perhaps one day we can do so; step back and let somebody else do the job."

"Yeah, perhaps one day" she agreed with a soft smile. "Thank you, Alec."

"You're welcome" he answered and flashed her his trademark grin. "But it will not be this night. This night we're gonna kick some cyborg ass!"

* * *

Wolf checked his SIG 554 assault rifle again but like the times before found out everything was alright. He knew how to handle this kind of rifle; they were considered to be some of best assault rifles in existence, after all, but he still preferred the guns he usually got from Manticore.

"Don't worry" Lieutenant Linder's voice caught his attention even over the noise of the Cougar helicopters engine. The young officer was sitting in front of him and grinned. Just like the rest of the thirty-five soldiers that would be on that mission and Wolf and Kyla themselves he wore full combat equipment and his face was covered in dark green and black camouflage color. "I've worked with the 554 for years. Never had any problems."

"I'm not worried" Wolf shouted back, "just want to be sure everything's ready."

Linder nodded and leaned back, allowing Wolf to look around for a moment. There were twelve people in the Cougar, not including the two pilots and the loadmaster; he, Kyla, Linder and nine of the Lieutenant's soldiers. What he saw reassured him. Although all of the soldiers were not older than he was their calm seriousness showed him they knew what they were going to do. He was almost sure they all had combat experience and while he would never say it out loud he felt glad Colonel Meyer had decided to attack their target with a whole platoon. They would land rather close to the house where they suspected their enemies base but the scouts the Colonel had deployed two days ago had reported that there were almost no guards outside so it shouldn't make any difference if they heard the helicopters coming. And besides that there was an Italian airbase near the small town so whoever the men were they should be used to the noise of aircrafts nearby by now.

But something still bothered him: During the mission briefing Wolf and Kyla had filled in the Swiss soldiers about their enemy, about them being able to react and move faster than the ordinary human due to bioengineering. He had expected at least some of them to be disbelieving but every man and woman in the Briefing Room had just acknowledged the facts and nodded. They had either seen much more than you would suspect from soldiers this young or there was more about them than met the eye. Or both.

He wasn't given time to ponder about that any longer. The pilot turned back to them and shouted:

"Three minutes! We're going dark!"

Immediately the lights changed from a bright white to a dark blue and outside he could see the two other Cougars almost disappearing into the darkness of the night when they switched off their position lights.

"We're entering Italian airspace" the pilot suddenly announced. "Two minutes."

Wolf could feel how the mood in the helicopter changed. Until now it had been a rather calm but attentive waiting, now he could sense how the soldiers' bodies prepared for battle. Heartbeats rose, breathing quickened. He felt his own body responding to those feelings and his feral side growled in anticipation. This was a combat operation, the sort of mission he had been designed for and his enhanced body was aching to do what it had been made for.

"One minute."

He glanced at Kyla and she flashed him a feral grin. She was feeling it, too, the rush of adrenaline and the excitement every soldier felt before battle.

"Touch down!" The pilot announced and the loadmaster opened the doors. "Good luck!"

The soldiers jumped out into the dark night and quickly secured the perimeter around the small clearance that was their drop zone. Wolf could see the other two helicopters landing nearby and the rest of the platoon quickly secured its own respective areas. Not twenty seconds after they had touched the ground the three Cougars took off again and disappeared to the north where they would wait for the radio signal to pick them up again.

"All units, this is two-six" he suddenly could hear the Lieutenant's whispering voice in his ear. "We're going to the south. Blue team, you take point, red team, you are with me and green team takes the rear."

The three team leaders voiced their affirmatives and without a sound thirty-six soldiers and two transgenics made their way through the woods. Wolf briefly wondered how the human soldiers were able to move so stealthily and quietly as none of them had any sort of night vision gear but he quickly let go of that thought as he knew he had to focus on the task that lay before them.

It took them about half an hour to reach their target, an old mansion near the border of the woods. Linder whispered some quick orders into his micro in that strange language that sounded almost like German but Wolf was only able to understand some of it. Apparently green team which had two snipers would stay back and provide cover while blue and red team – the one he and Kyla were with – would attack and enter the building.

When he felt the Lieutenant was about to give the order to attack he briefly looked at Kyla and nodded at her reassuringly, a gesture she returned.

"All units, this is two-six" Linder finally ordered and his voice was as hard as stone. "Attack! I repeat: Attack!"

* * *

In Washington Renfro was sitting in her office going through the latest reports on her computer. She was in a good mood. Tonight the teams in Europe would attack and while they would find nothing more in Edinburgh than an abandoned safe house there were two teams in Montpellier which were just waiting for their attack orders from the observation base in northern Italy. Suddenly she frowned and opened a file that had been sent to her only minutes ago. It was the report of two transgenics who had boarded on a flight to Europe almost three days ago. As far as she knew there was no mission scheduled in Europe except for Montpellier and Edinburgh. She scrolled down until she got to the designations of the two X5.

X5-451 and X5-301.

She felt confused for a moment and then it hit her. She paled and froze in shock.

But only for a second. She quickly put out her cell phone and dialed the number she knew by heart.

"_What?" _the male voice snapped in an annoyed tone sounding tired. _"We agreed that it's me who makes con…"_

"Shut up and listen!" she interrupted him rudely. "There are two X5 who have been deployed to Geneva, Switzerland. I believe they're going to attack Saint-Vincent!"

"_Are you sure about that?"_ Any sort of tiredness had vanished from his voice.

"There is no other reason for Lydecker to send them there. He hasn't even told the committee about it."

"_I'll inform the emergency response teams!"_

Without waiting for her answer he hung up.

* * *

On another continent Max had just finished dealing with the alarm system. She nodded towards Jace and the female X5 opened the door carefully with a gun in her other hand and Jondy right behind her.

"All clear" Max announced over wireless. "We're going in."

"_Roger that"_ she heard Alec's calm reply. He was sitting in their command center monitoring every action of his team. _"Brin, status?"_

"_I can't see anything"_ the Asian X5 announced. She was currently on a rooftop on the other side of the street watching the dark apartment through her scope. Alec had decided that would be the best spot for her and Max had agreed, feeling grateful towards her friend; like this Brin still was part of the mission but not directly involved. _"It looks like there's absolutely nobody."_

"_Roger. Max"_ Alec continued, _"you are free to proceed, but be careful."_

"Wilco" the female transgenic answered and terminated the connection. She hadn't missed the tense undertone in the male X5's voice and she fully knew what he was thinking for she had the same thoughts.

This was too easy.

* * *

The two teams approached the mostly dark building quickly and silently and had almost arrived when a guard rounded the building and got aware of the two dozen soldiers. Before he could even raise his gun a rifle cracked behind the attacking teams and the man fell to the ground.

"_Green five, one down!" _the sniper announced.

And that was when all hell broke loose. Out of nowhere enemies appeared, out of the main door, at the windows, almost from everywhere. The green team did his best to cover their advancing comrades but two of the Swiss soldiers suddenly cried out in pain and fell to the ground.

"Take cover!" Wolf heard Linder's voice. Everybody ducked behind whatever cover they could find and the X5 cursed silently. If they stayed like that they would be pinched down. But he got surprised. Linder shouted as loud as he could into his micro: "Launchers! Clear me that goddamned first floor! Green team, cover the second floor!"

There was no verbal answer but after some seconds four of his soldiers with grenade launchers suddenly stood up simultaneously and launched their grenades at the windows on the first floor and the green team showered the second floor with a volley so intense their enemies had to duck for cover themselves. The four grenades exploded in the building and suddenly the transgenic could hear the screams of panic and pain.

"Blue team!" Linder roared. "Cover us! Red team: Get in there! NOW!"

No more words were needed. While the blue team made sure nobody would shoot at their charging comrades from the first floor the red team with Linder at its point and Kyla and Wolf in tow stormed towards the building and took position left and right to the main entry door where they were safe for the moment.

Wolf watched the interaction and movements of the soldiers and he had to admit that for ordinary humans they were good. A little bit too good for his liking. When the team was in position Linder kicked the door open and immediately two of his soldiers threw grenades into the new opening. There were two deafening explosions and the whole team charged into the room; a few shots were all it took to neutralize the enemies that had survived the grenades. After a few seconds there was a soldier at every door in the room and somebody announced: "Room one clear!"

Breathing heavily the young Lieutenant looked around to make sure everything was alright for the moment. The room was totally wasted, several dead bodies lay around and the smell of gunpowder and blood was almost too much to bear.

"Blue team, move up! Green team, status?"

"_Green team, no casualties, no wounded. Ammo: 60 percent."_

At this moment blue team entered the room.

"Status?" Linder barked.

"Two wounded" the team leader announced. She had a nasty gash on her cheek herself but as it looked the shorthaired brunette women didn't seem to mind. "One got hit into the shoulder, one into the arm. Medic says they're gonna be fine."

The platoon leader looked at the medic and the man gave him a thumbs up and proceeded to take care of the one soldier who had taken a bullet to the shoulder.

"Okay, listen up" Linder finally ordered. "Blue team, you're gonna clear this floor, red team, we're going upstairs. Green team, call in the evacs, I bet we don't have much time left until the Italians show up. Everybody move out!"

Quickly the teams split up and the one Wolf and Kyla were with went upstairs. As soon as they arrived on the second floor they got greeted by a hail of bullets and had to duck for cover once more. Just when the Lieutenant readied another grenade a tall figure appeared behind him and Wolf could see the knife in the man's hand. Without thinking he blurred forward, threw the officer against the wall and out of harm's way and grabbed the attacker. They struggled for a few seconds until Kyla came to his aid and shot his enemy. Breathing heavily Wolf retreated behind their cover again.

Suddenly he got aware of how Linder was looking at him, but instead of seeing surprise or disbelief at how inhumanly fast he had moved the young officer suddenly grinned and opened a radio channel once again.

"All units, all units, this is two-six. Full combat engagement authorized, I repeat, full engagement authorized. Over and out."

After that everything happened very quickly. The soldiers who had been acting like very well trained but still human spec ops until now gathered around their CO and team leader and launched their attack. Their cybernetic enhanced enemies had been better than the attack teams due to their enhanced strength and reflexes despite the fact that they seemingly had no grenades and most of them only used handguns only the surprise effect and superior firepower had allowed the soldiers to make it this far. But not anymore. With movements much faster than everything Wolf had ever seen it outside Manticore and a cold but perfect teamwork the soldiers started to clean one room after the other.

He was so surprised himself at first that he didn't move. One look at Kyla told him she was as astonished as he was but the heat of battle quickly took over his thinking again and he rejoined the advancing team. When Linder saw the two Americans had joined his soldiers again he flashed them a knowing and grim smile before he proceeded to the next room. The next few minutes were a blur of explosions, shooting, shouting and soldiers driving back their enemies in perfectly trained moves. It was hell and if it hadn't been for the adrenaline that drove back almost any sort of conscious thinking and allowed the soldiers and X5s to act out of instinct it would possibly have been too much for any sane mind. But like this they just did what they were trained to do, it was their operation, their mission and nothing else.

When they came to the last room Wolf and Kyla were the first to enter after the grenades had detonated. There were two enemies lying on the floor but one look told him they were dead.

"Room clear!" the team leader announced.

"Room clear, second floor clear!" Linder announced into his micro then looked around at the mass of computer equipment, breathing heavily and giving the two transgenics a weird look. "Well, looks like their command center to me. What do you think, _Captain?_"

"I think you're right!" the male transgenic growled not missing the hint. They knew already more about each other than they should and Wolf already knew that after the mission there would be a long and extremely unpleasant conversation. But not now. He turned towards Kyla. "Lieutenant?"

"On it" his partner said and quickly went to one of the terminals that hadn't been destroyed in the fight and connected her external hard drive to it. "Okay, I start the download…what the…Captain!"

"What?" Upon hearing the intensity in her voice he was at her side in a second looking at one of the screens she was currently staring at. He swore and took out his cell phone. It was something he usually didn't take with on such missions but when being in a foreign country he usually did. Frantically he dialed the number and prayed he would get a connection. Linder looked at him in confusion but one look from the transgenic told him enough and he remained silent while the rest of red team made sure nobody would attack them.

"_494"_ Wolf finally got an answer.

"This is 451! Identification alpha-three-nine-two-delta-sierra-two-six!"

"_Wolf, what the…"_

"Be quiet and listen! Abort your mission right now!"

"_What are you talking about?"_ Despite his experience the other transgenic sounded confused. _"Where are you?"_

"I'm in Italy and currently looking at a screen which just shows Max, Jace and Jondy doing recon in an apartment! Sounding familiar?" Wolf hissed trying to convince his third in command of the truth of his words. "Alec, you've been compromised! Abort and pull out! Now!"

There was a second of hesitation. _"Got it, we pull out!"_

The line went dead and Wolf could do nothing than look at the screen which showed his teammates and his sister who were currently several hundreds of miles away from him. That was by far one of the weirdest and most disturbing situations he had ever been in.

"Captain" Linder announced. "Forty-five seconds to exit. The Cougars approach and command has intercepted radio messages from the Italian air force. They're about to launch their quick response fighters."

"I need more than forty-five seconds" Kyla growled. "There's just…oh you gotta be kidding me!"

Just when Wolf wanted to ask what was wrong the screen before him suddenly went black just as did every other screen in the room that hadn't been destroyed.

"What's going on?"

"It's shutting down" Kyla exclaimed trying to stop the process. "The whole damned network is destroying itself."

"A virus?"

"Negative, I've checked that and I've established a safe line. The command is coming from somewhere outside."

"Can you track it?"

"With a computer who's currently trying to commit suicide? Are you kidding?"

"Kyla…"

"Captain!" Lieutenant Linder interrupted. "We gotta go. Now!"

Wolf looked from him to Kyla and back with clenched teeth. He knew the young officer was right but without the information from the computers the whole mission would have been for nothing. But he could already hear the Cougars approaching and he knew if they waited too long the jets of the air force would make it impossible to escape. With an angry growl he signaled Kyla to move out and followed her after she'd yanked the hard drive from the now 'dead' computer and left the room.

The young Lieutenant and the rest of his team followed and just when the first lights of the approaching helicopters could be seen in the distance they started to run away from the old mansion into the open field were they secured their perimeter once again and made it possible for the three Cougars to land. As soon as the aircrafts had touched the ground they all retreated and jumped into the huge helicopters as fast as they could one after the other.

Kyla was one of the last together with the Lieutenant, two of the soldiers and Wolf. Just when she turned around she heard a gunshot one of the soldiers cried out and fell to the ground clutching his leg.

"Sniper!" somebody shouted and everybody frantically tried to find the hidden shooter, first of all their own snipers using their scopes to scan the area around them. In the blink of an eye the female transgenic made her decision and she started running towards the wounded soldier. It was more than just dangerous but she was the closest to him and during this night he was one of her unit. She wouldn't leave a member of her unit behind. She could hear Wolf shouting at her to come back but she knew she couldn't; usually they would locate and neutralize the sniper first but they didn't have the time to do so this time, they had to evacuate now!

She arrived at the wounded soldier. The bullet had torn up his thigh and he looked at her with a pained expression. She grabbed him and tossed him over her shoulder ignoring his cries of pain and carried him back to the nearest Cougar as fast as she could. Just when she got there and the other soldiers took their comrade from her shoulder she heard somebody shout:

"Over there!"

And then there was a movement behind her and another shout: "Get down!"

She wanted to turn around but was too slow. Before she could do anything she heard the sound of a gunshot and felt a painful hit against her back.

* * *

**Anybody still thinking I'm getting old? Yeah, I know my endings can be mean sometimes *evil grin***

**For those who think Wolf was behaving a little bit strange in this chapter: You are right. Why? You find out later.**

**For those of you who would like to see Max kick some ass: Wait for the next chapter.**

**And for those who still want to see what Logan's doing in the meantime. You'll have to be a little bit patient.**

**Now, I don't know yet if I will be able to update again soon for my unit has a training exercise out in the woods and I'll probably not return before 04-02. I'll try but I can't promise anything.**

**Just remember: Reviews are life! ;)**


	27. Chapter 27

Okay, back again and still in one piece - but barely (goddamned recruits!)

This chapter is mostly about combat, at least as far as Max is concerned (hey, I told you she would kick ass, right?) Sorry for those of you who would have liked to see more interraction between her and her teammates but this will come later, promise.

Now, thanks to all my readers again and most of all to my reviewers!

**Taeniaea:** Thanks again, fast as usual!

**Divine Fighter:** You'll see about Wolf in this chapter and yes, Kyla's got something to do with it. I don't think Brin is already enough of her old self again to try and escape, but perhaps I'll see about that later. Thanks!

**JOUNOUCHI sama:** While I appreciate and encourage any reviewer to express his opinion I must say I do not like being blackmailed. But to assure you once again: I've told you before you will get your pairing and so it will be but as you should know by now I like to take on those things slowly. But don't worry. If you read between the lines you'll find out about the pairing in this chapter already.

**452max:** Did she die? Did she die? Hm, read and find out ;)

**Alan Grey:** I hope your exams are going well and don't worry about you not being able to review every chapter. You are right, I'm military. As a matter of fact I'm a professional instructor in the infantry which sometimes also includes future snipers. I hope this doesn't offend anybody in here and if it does, well, sorry about it. I can see your point with the snipers having made some important appearances and I can assure you I try and not use them too often, they just were too perfect for the missions unit two had been on until now; but as I said I hope I don't exaggerate. If I do so, kick me ;) I must say I never really could warm up to the idea of the Conclave although I can't say they will never make their appearance. An enemy which tries to enhance its soldiers with implants just seemed to be a new idea for me. Glad you liked it. I will give you a little hint why it seemed to be so easy to capture the base in Italy and also what it is about with the troops in Fortress Delta in this chapter. They're neither Russian or Italian, by the way, most of them are Swiss but there are also others. You'll see soon but not in this chapter already. And yes, you're right, the Italians don't have the Cougar. About me getting old...*sigh* okay, you just know me too well. Of course I didn't kill her. Perhaps I really have to think about some mean things to surprise you again. We'll see about that. Thank you very much!

**Geminangel:** Welcome on board and thank you for your review! I'm glad you like the story until now and I hope I can keep up to meet your expectations!

******************

**X5-154 aka Nova** The blond transgenic is the medic of unit two. She's one of the smallest X5 but nevertheless can take care of herself just fine. Other than that she's one of the X5 with the most experience in missions outside Manticore. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-194 aka Blade** Member of unit two. The Asian woman is one of the few that could actually beat her CO or her 2IC in a hand-to-hand combat. She is almost obsessed with any sort of blades and usually tries not to use firearms. Has no shark but snake DNA.

**X5-210 aka Jondy** As children Max and Jondy had been in unit one and escaped together in '09. Jondy got caught by Lydecker months before Max and has joined unit two. She is loyal to Manticore and her unit but this doesn't mean she likes everybody around the base. Eventually she even refers to Lydecker that he 'can be an asshole sometimes'. Nevertheless she chose to stay out of her free will and hopes Max will be in her unit for she deeply cares about her younger sister.

**X5-258 aka Nitro** Member of unit two. The young blond man adores every sort of vehicle. He's one of the more unsettled X5. KIA after the mission in Joliet.

**X5-301 aka Kyla** 2IC of unit two. Usually paired with Wolf during their missions. The two of them have the most experience throughout the X-series when it comes to combat missions and search and destroy and both of them are very well trained in close quarter combat and hand-to-hand fights. Over the years she has developed a strong affection towards Wolf but being soldiers first and inexperienced with this kind of emotions none of them has had the courage to make the next step yet.

**X5-367 aka Havoc** Member of unit two. The black haired and tanned transgenic is the unit's expert when it comes to explosives. He is almost as calm as 439 and is known for his subtle sense of humor. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-439 aka Artemis** Member of unit two. She's the sniper of her unit. Her rather calm and controlled self helps the others from getting out of hand too much. Like Wolf and Kyla she keeps her brown hair very short as she thinks it would hinder her otherwise.

**X5-451 aka Wolf** CO of unit two and Max's genetic brother. Just like his partner Kyla he had been developed for combat operations. His intense grey eyes and very short black hair clearly let him look like the soldier he is and his knowledge about almost any sort of combat makes him a deadly enemy. Over the years he has developed a strong affection towards Kyla but being soldiers first and inexperienced with this kind of emotions none of them has had the courage to make the next step yet.

**X5-494 aka Alec** Member of unit two and third in the chain of command. He has become sort the unit's unofficial leader as Wolf and Kyla often are on outside missions. He can be sort of a smart ass sometimes but he usually knows when to stop. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-526 aka Bear** Member of unit two. He's the biggest and strongest X5 in the unit and prefers heavy weapons. Nevertheless he's very gentle and almost never gets angry. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-734 aka Brin** After her return to Manticore she underwent a very brutal reindoctrination which left her brainwashed and only partly able to make independent decisions. She has been under Director Renfro's command until Renfro had to leave the Wyoming facility. Currently Brin's not part of a unit but assigned to where she's needed.

**X5-798 aka Jace** She was the only one staying behind during the '09 escape out of her free will. She's currently a member of unit five._

* * *

_

Montpellier, France

Max was about to hack the computer they'd found in the bedroom of the small apartment while Jondy and Jace were looking out for any possible attacker, weapons ready. This was much too easy. There had been not guards, they had found no video cameras and the alarm system was very old. And the computer wasn't too difficult to hack either. Just when she'd managed to get past the security program she heard Alec over wireless once more and he sounded nervous.

"_Max, Jace, Jondy: Get out of there, right now! I repeat: Get out, get out, get out! Brin, change your position, but try and cover the others when they come out!"_

"_Roger!"_ was the only answer the Asian X5 gave from her sniper spot.

Max hesitated for a split second with the external hard drive already in her left hand; she had hacked the system, she was only seconds from getting access to the files! But she knew Alec; he was an experienced operator and he had sounded more than just a little bit worried so she put the hard drive back in her pocket and the three women left the apartment as quickly as they could. The darkness didn't slow them down as their enhanced sight made them see almost as if all the lights had been on. When they were running down the stairs she opened a channel to her temporary CO.

"Alec, what's going on? We were almost done!"

"_I've got a call from Wolf"_ came the tense reply. _"He's in Italy. According to him we've been compromised. We have to move, right now! Come back to the hotel as fast as you can!"_

* * *

A few streets away three black vans silently stood in the darkness. Inside however thirty soldiers in combat suits waited for their leader to finally give the signal to attack. They were equipped with a variety of weapons from sidearms to heavy rifles but all of them also had taser guns. Their primary objective wasn't to kill the X5 that currently searched their old safe house but to capture them alive.

The team leader was sitting in the first vehicle looking at his second in command who had a detonator in his hand and calmly looked at him waiting for the signal. But it wasn't time yet. The team leader looked at the men and women who were with him and he was barely able to suppress a grim smile; these were some of the best soldiers they had, all with combat experience and battle hardened. The majority of the military force his organization had in this part of the world was now concentrated here; they had even called in the team from Edinburgh and most of the guards from their Italian base which was now only occupied by a few men, most of them technicians and intelligence officers. But it didn't matter; if their intel had been correct Manticore knew nothing of their base in Saint-Vincent and even if they did they at least wouldn't attack during the next 48 hours as no such mission had been approved by the committee.

No, this time they would succeed. Everything had been carefully planned; the team was ready, the surveillance in place and they had even linked the hidden surveillance cameras in the safe house to the Italian base; if the transgenics noticed the electronic signal and tried to track it they would perhaps find out it was coming from somewhere in Italy, but none of them would suspect there was an attack team waiting for them only a few hundred meters away. Yes, this time the mission would be a success and unlike in Joliet the captured X5 wouldn't escape them again; his organization had learned from past mistakes. He only had to wait now until his bravo team had reached the transgenic sniper and neutralized her and then the officer in charge in Saint-Vincent who was watching the whole action on his screen would give the attack order.

Suddenly his cell phone ringed and he frowned.

"Harris!" he gruffly answered the call.

"_Harris, this is command!"_ the voice was not that of the officer in Saint-Vincent but of somebody else the team leader knew very well. And his superior didn't sound happy at all. _"Saint-Vincent has been destroyed by forces of the Swiss army and Manticore transgenics. Begin your attack immediately before they can warn the team in Montpellier!"_

Saint-Vincent attacked? How on earth was that possible? This was a disaster! His thoughts were racing but nevertheless he didn't lose his focus. He answered a brisk 'Understood!' and hang up, then opened a com channel to all units:

"All units, all units, this is Alpha leader! Initiate attack, I repeat, initiate attack!"

Without hesitation the driver of the van started the motor and slammed his foot down on the accelerator and the vehicle made a jump forward and rapidly gained speed.

Harris looked at his 2IC who still had the detonator in his hand.

"Blow them up!"

"But bravo team hasn't neutralized the sniper yet!" the other man objected.

"They've been warned, we have to move, sniper or not!" the team leader shouted angrily. "Blow them up!"

The other soldier nodded and detonated their dangerous surprise hidden in the safe house.

* * *

Just when Max, Jace and Jondy left the building through the front door dozens of charges hidden inside the house exploded. But those weren't the usual sort of demolition charges. Instead of destroying their environment and sending shrapnel everywhere almost no damage was done to the house and its interior except for the windows which were all shattered to pieces; they were more like highly boosted flashbang grenades, creating an acoustic shock of over two hundred decibel and an overpressure that would have severely injured an ordinary human being.

Even outside the building the three female transgenics cried out in pain, dropped to their knees and covered their ears, their enhanced hearing making the pain even worse.

After a few seconds when the first shock and the immediate pain started to wear off Max tried to stand up but found it extremely difficult to keep her balance. She moaned and pressed her eyes shut for a second but it didn't help. Her ears were ringing and her head was swimming. Suddenly she felt something wet on her upper lip and had the smell of blood in her mouth and quickly found out she had a nosebleed.

When looking at Jondy and Jace she could tell they weren't in a better shape.

"…_happened?"_ she suddenly heard Alec's voice in her ear but could barely understand him. _"Max, Jondy, Jace? Talk to me!"_

"Explosion" Max answered over wireless but talking seemed to be a very bad idea for she suddenly felt like throwing up.

"_I can see them, Alec"_ Brin announced from her spot on a rooftop across the street. _"There was an explosion but it looked like some sort of big stun grenade. Shall I go and get them?"_

"_Negative, I'm coming to you. Cover them."_

"_Got it."_

Suddenly Max got aware of the distant sound of screeching tires and approaching vehicles.

"We gotta go!" Jace shouted. Her fellow X5s only nodded and Max was glad to find out her senses slowly started to work like usually again. Just when they started to run in the direction of their command center and Alec three black vans rounded the corner and sped towards them. It didn't take the three women much imagination to know who was in the vehicles.

Like one they stopped and turned around, taking aim and sent a hail of bullets towards the first vehicle. Again tires screeched and the car suddenly came to a stop just like the second one did a blink of an eye later when Brin shot the driver from her sniping spot. The two motionless cars blocked the street so the third one was not able to pursue them further. Nevertheless they could see armed men in black clothing leaving the vehicles and coming after them. The three transgenics turned around again and continued running towards where they knew their CO and the apartment which hopefully would provide them safety for some moments. Just when they were about to disappear into a side road they heard Brin over wireless again, cursing heavily.

"_They found me!"_ the Asian X5 shouted and Max could hear gunfire and screams. _"I have to jump!"_

The three young women watched in shock as their teammate suddenly appeared on the rooftop and jumped over the small balustrade.

"No!" Jondy chocked but it was too late.

Even over the distance Max could hear the thud and a sickening crack when Brin hit the ground. The Asian X5 screamed in agony but nevertheless tried to stand up almost instantly but screamed again and fell back to the ground. Without thinking the three X5 started running towards their injured team member although it brought them awfully close to the soldiers from the vans who were closing in fast.

When they arrived Max picked up her injured sister and threw her over her shoulder while Jondy and Jace fired some volleys at their enemies forcing them to take cover. Jace threw three smoke grenades hoping it would slow down their enemies. Subconsciously they already knew their attackers didn't want to kill them but capture them alive for none of them had shot at them until now except for those who had surprised Brin on the rooftop.

Nevertheless they all knew the danger and when four of the black clad soldiers managed to flank them, cutting of their only way of escape Max was cursing silently but still kept running towards the men for they had no other possibility to get away and to safety than through were those soldiers were waiting for them now.

Just when the transgenics got in range their four opponents left their cover and shot their tasers at them; the three women tried to dodge the electronic guns but Max, who was slower than the other two with Brin on her shoulders got hit by one of them and dropped to her knees again, screaming. Too close to use their guns anymore Jondy and Jace jumped at the four soldiers, driving them back with the force of their first attack and fortunately for Max Jondy hit the one that had shot her with the taser and the pain stopped. She angrily yanked the two wires from her body and stood up again, never letting go of the semiconscious Brin.

Meanwhile Jondy and Jace had a hard time ducking and dodging their enhanced attackers' blows and kicks. From the way the black clad men were fighting there was no doubt they were facing the cyberneticaly enhanced cyborgs they had been looking for as they were more than able to keep up with the transgenics. And the Manticore soldiers had to move quickly now; behind her Max could already hear the rest of the attackers approaching; due to Jace's smoke grenades they had to move slowly and cautiously through the thick cloud that now filled the street but they were coming closer nevertheless. When Max joined the battle it was more to get them some air and make it possible to escape than to actually win the fight.

Still she couldn't suppress a grim grin when she broke the arm of one of her enemies but the blink of an eye later another one broke through her defenses and when his jackboot connected with her upper body she could hear her bones crack.

The pain she felt was nothing like she had had experienced before. It felt like a burning spear had been rammed into her side and wouldn't stop moving. She couldn't scream, couldn't call out for help, she could barely breathe. She managed to look up and saw the triumphant grin on the soldier's face as he stroke out to deliver the final blow. Max knew with her and Brin out Jace and Jondy wouldn't stand a chance against the four soldiers and their comrades who certainly would be there in a few seconds.

Out of nowhere a shadow appeared and a gun cracked. The soldier who was standing over Max didn't stand a chance and dropped dead to the floor. Without a second look Alec turned towards Jace and Jondy and attacked.

With his unexpected help they were able to finish off their opponents quickly and just when the rest of the attack team rounded the corner and sprinted towards them they finally made it past the last enemy who had tried to hold them back.

All the time Max had tried to get up but the pain in her side seemed to get worse with every breath she took. Suddenly Jondy was at her side and helped her to her feet ignoring her chocked screams while Jace picked up the now fully unconscious Brin. The two women ran towards the next side road as fast as they could dragging their wounded friends along while Alec was quick to follow them, but turned around from time to time firing a volley at their pursuers trying to slow them down.

After a few more minutes it seemed like their attackers had lost track and the transgenics stopped in a dark alley breathing heavily. The fight had not lasted longer than a minute but all of them were exhausted and in pain. Jace who was bleeding from a gash on her cheek and a laceration on her forehead took care of Brin who had a broken leg and obviously had passed out from the pain. Jondy who had three broken fingers helped Max to sit down and cringed when her little sister winced in pain and panted for air.

"How are they?" Alec asked over his shoulder still aiming his weapon towards the end of the alley.

"Broken leg" Jace announced briskly ripping Brin's left trouser leg open and then cursed under her breath. "Compound fracture."

"Can you fix it?"

"Temporarily, but I'm not a medic.!"

"Where's Nova when you need her?" Alec muttered and turned towards Jondy and Max who had her eyes half closed and looked awfully pale. "Jondy?"

"I don't know" the brown haired X5 answered and shook her head. "She can't breathe; perhaps one of her ribs has punctured the lung. Alec, we have to get her to a hospital!"

"Dammit!" the male transgenic swore. There was no possibility for a medevac, they had no allies here and Manticore would need too much time to send a rescue team. As much as it pained him to see his fellow X5s, especially Max, in pain he knew they couldn't get them to a hospital, not with two dozen enemies around. And they couldn't go back to their hotel room either. "Get them up, we have to move!"

"What are we going to do?" Jace wanted to know.

"Don't know yet" Alec had to admit but his mind was already coming up with several possible plans. "We'll have to make it up as we go but for now we have to get as far away from here as possible."

* * *

_Saint-Vincent, Italy_

Kyla stumbled forward and fell to the ground, suddenly feeling a heavy weigh on her back and smelled blood but she knew how it felt when you got shot and she didn't feel like that at all. There was some shouting and movements all around her and she heard several gunshots and a distant cry. Apparently the sniper had been taken care of. She tried to move but it took her several seconds to turn around and stand up, that was when she found out what had happened.

One of the Swiss soldiers was lying in the grass beside her, not moving anymore. Apparently it had been him who had collided with her. She could see the hole in his back and the blood oozing from it. He was the one that had shouted at her to get down and had taken the bullet that had been meant for her!

Suddenly Lieutenant Linder and Wolf appeared at her side, the young officer lifting up his motionless soldier and dragging him towards the Cougar.

Wolf looked at her for a brief moment before he grabbed her and pulled her towards another helicopter.

"Move, soldier!" was all he said.

They got into the Cougar and a second later the Lieutenant joined them; apparently there had not been enough room for him in the other helicopter.

The three Cougars took off and flew towards the north as fast and as low as they could, barely avoiding the treetops. After he had made sure Kyla wasn't injured Wolf was listening to the pilots talking to each other about if they were low enough to avoid detection from the Italian radar and he was silently praying that they were; the Cougars were equipped with antimissile defense but when the Italian jets found them they still would be screwed as no helicopter was able to out-fly a pursuit fighter.

All the time Linder said nothing but was looking out at the first Cougar, the one who carried the soldier that had been hit protecting Kyla. The rest of the soldiers were very quiet, too; they all had noticed one of their comrades had been at least critically injured and they were worried as there was no information about how severely his injuries were.

When they finally entered Swiss airspace and at least didn't have to worry about the Italian air force anymore they relaxed a little bit but still almost nobody talked and when they did they talked in a hushed tone as if they were afraid their words could attract further danger.

When they arrived at Fortress Delta the hangar's roof was already open, allowing the first Cougar to land immediately and the two others followed quickly. Before they touched the ground Linder shouted some orders over wireless Wolf didn't understand and when the doors opened the young officer jumped out and followed the medics that were already leaving the hangar with the motionless soldier from the first Cougar on a stretcher. Only one soldier, the female team leader from blue team followed him, the rest of the platoon stood around the three Cougars until the leader of red team – apparently the 2IC of the platoon – ordered them all to go to the debriefing room and wait there or – if injured – go to the infirmary first.

Out of instinct Wolf and Kyla ran after the platoon leader and the NCO. The two Swiss soldiers were running through the underground corridors at a very high speed, much too high for ordinary humans and the two transgenics had to watch it if they wanted to keep up with them. When they reached the infirmary they could already see through the window that separated that part of the base from the outside that an emergency team was trying to reanimate the soldier that had saved Kyla's life. Linder wanted to enter the room but Colonel Meyer, who was there too and watched the whole scenery as well held him back.

"Your job's done, Lieutenant" the old officer said to the young platoon leader and then nodded towards the doctors, "now let them do theirs."

Reluctantly the younger officer nodded and watched the men and women in their light green coats together with his CO and his team leader. The two transgenics stood a little bit in the background, not wanting to disturb the three soldiers and both were thinking back to the night in Joliet when almost exactly the same scene had taken place and Nitro had died.

After about twenty minutes during which nobody said a word the doctor who had performed cardiac massage on the motionless soldier stopped and stepped back. He took of his mask and blood smeared gloves, angrily tossing them into the waste bin before he looked at the soldiers through the window and sadly shook his head.

"No!" the female NCO whispered despaired and placed one hand onto the glass, supporting herself. Lieutenant Linder was trembling and had his hands clenched into fists. Wolf could sense the anger, grief and frustration the other soldier was feeling and remembered his own emotions he had felt when Nitro had been taken from them.

Suddenly the young officer calmed down and looked at his team leader. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

"There's nothing you can do here anymore, Diana" he whispered quietly. "Go back to the others; I'll take care about things here."

The blond woman – Diana – viciously shook her head and tried to get away from him but he only tightened his grip and suddenly embraced her into a tight hug. She continued to fight him for a few more seconds but he didn't let her go and suddenly she stopped, not moving anymore and cried against his chest. The sounds of pure grief and emotional pain coming from the woman made Kyla cringe and she felt the blond team leader had lost more than just a fellow soldier. When she finally calmed down Linder let go of her and took a step back.

"Come on, Diana" Colonel Meyer said quietly. "You need to get out of here."

Carefully the old officer placed a hand on her shoulder and directed her out of the room with a calm kindness.

When they had left the room and the door was closed behind again nobody spoke a word until the outburst Wolf had expected for some minutes finally came.

"Goddammit!" Linder suddenly spun around and hit the concrete wall with his fist. He breathed heavily and it took him some seconds to regain his usually calm composure before he addressed the two transgenics.

"I am sorry. Are you two okay?"

"You don't need to apologize" Wolf assured him, "we understand. And yes, we are okay. Thanks to you and thanks to him."

Linder looked at his dead soldier once again and sighed heavily.

"Was he a friend?" Kyla asked quietly but the young officer shook his head.

"No" he replied in a grave voice. "Daniel was…he was much more."

"And the woman? Diana? Were they…" she trailed off as she felt it was not her place to ask but Linder nodded

"They were in love." He sighed again. "I'm sorry, but if you are not injured I have to ask you to go back to your quarters. Take a shower, get some sleep, somebody will inform you when the debriefing takes place. Until then I must ask you not to talk to anyone outside my platoon about this mission."

"Understood" Wolf answered quietly. He had many questions towards the young officer but he knew that would have to wait although after having seen him and his soldiers being able to perform the way he had only seen transgenics do it until now was something that still bothered him. The two Manticore soldiers turned to leave but Wolf looked back once again. "Lieutenant? We are really sorry for your loss."

"Thank you, Captain."

* * *

_Nine hours later – Fortress Delta, South of Switzerland_

"Summarized the mission was partly a success, leading to the destruction of a hostile base. Nevertheless we were not able to gain the intel we were after and we got three wounded" Colonel Meyer said at the end of their debriefing and sighed before he added "and one dead: Corporal Daniel Rader."

The whole platoon who had gathered for the mission debriefing looked terribly sad and some of them had unshed tears in their eyes.

"I know how you feel. Losing a fellow soldier, a friend, a brother" Meyer's voice was serious but soft at the same time and he looked at Diana who was crying silently "or even a beloved one is something nobody should ever experience."

There was a choked sob from the blond leader of blue team and everybody looked at her with concern and sympathy. Meyer nodded and continued.

"But always remember that this is what we're doing, and that it is our mission to protect our people and our country against our enemies even if the price is very high. We have to live with that. Now, I want you in your quarters for the rest of the day. Try to get some rest and remember your fallen brother. Daniel's funeral will be in thirty-six hours. Dismissed!"

One after the other they left the room and soon reached their quarters. Kyla and Wolf entered theirs and closed the door behind them. Kyla took off her uniform jacket and sat down on the mattress while Wolf opened his locker. Suddenly he turned around and his eyes found hers and he frowned upon the weird look she was giving him.

"What?" he asked.

"What?"

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Why don't you tell me?" It sounded more hostile than she had intended to.

He frowned and shook his head after some seconds and turned towards the locker again. "Whatever!"

Enraged she was on her feet in the blink of an eye and pushed him back against the wall.

"Can't you stop being jerk at least while we're alone?" she hissed angrily. "And stop acting like wasn't there because right now I'm quite pissed off at you!"

"Take your hands off me, soldier" he growled slowly and in a very low voice.

She reluctantly let go of him and took a step back. It was true, he had been acting weird ever since they had left Manticore and after they'd come home yesterday he had ignored her, tried to avoid her most of the time and was not even looking at her and she had enough.

"Tell me at least why you're acting like you don't know me!" she demanded.

"Why?" He looked at her and she could see the spark of anger in his eyes but also something else she didn't immediately recognize. "Why? Because what I saw out there was not you! Because you didn't listen to orders! I ordered you to come back but you didn't! You were doing a reckless, stupid and totally idiotic stunt out there when you went for that soldier!"

"Somebody had to get him and I was the closest to him!" she objected.

"It's not what you've been trained to do! First you have to find and neutralize the shooter, then you can go and rescue your wounded. Did you forget everything we trained?"

"No, but I also did not forget that no matter what you don't leave a member of your unit behind" she snarled.

"Perhaps you should remember from time to time that _no matter what_ you always have to listen to orders!"

"I did what had to be done and if you had been in my situation you would've done exactly the same thing and you know it!"She suddenly narrowed her eyes. "Or don't you anymore? Did PsyOps take such a toll on you?"

"This is not about PsyOps and me" he snapped finally losing his temper. Deep down in his heart he knew she was right but he was scared of the truth and he was afraid to confess to her why he was acting like that. Trying to shield himself from her and not thinking fast enough the next words were out of his mouth before he knew what he was doing. "But the way you're talking perhaps you could use some of their medicine."

She slapped him. Not a punch, that's what he would've expected but no, she slapped him. He stumbled back against the wall feeling the stinging pain on his cheek but he didn't really notice it. He stared at her in shock, not believing what he'd just said. He could see the shock, confusion and disbelief over her own actions in her eyes as well but most of all the pain his words had caused.

"Gods, Kyla, I…" he stammered and approached her slowly. "Please, I didn't want to hurt you."

When he came closer she suddenly held up her hands like in defense and retreated until she felt the cold concrete wall against her back.

"I'm sorry" he continued. "I don't know what made me say that, please believe me!"

She refused to answer or to look at him, too confused by her own actions and unsure what to do next. When he carefully touched her shoulder she flinched and pushed him back half-heartedly but he ignored her and pulled her close. First she tried to get away from him much like Diana had tried to get away from Linder the previous day but eventually she stopped. Wolf could feel her trembling and breathing heavily and he suddenly understood what she was feeling; fear. Fear that he had changed after all, that the scientists had won and that she'd lost him.

"I didn't want to say that" he repeated again. "I'm sorry."

"Me too" she finally mumbled against his shoulder. "Is it PsyOps?"

After some seconds he shook his head.

"No, it isn't" he answered slowly. "Not entirely. It's me. I've told you before, Kyla, when we're out there I'm always worried about you, more than about the others. When I saw you running towards that soldier all I could think was in what danger you were at the moment and if it hadn't been for that Corporal you would be dead."

"But I'm not!" she said and looked at him.

"But it easily could have been you!" He sounded despaired and where she had seen anger in his eyes a minute ago she now saw fear. "I want you to be safe, not searching out the danger all the time. I want you to live because I don't know how I should be able to live without you…!"

Hearing him talk like that scared her and she didn't want to be scared anymore. She was scared of failing, of dying and most of all she was scared of losing him. She was scared of so many things and she didn't want to be anymore, not now and not here. She finally needed somebody who held her close, somebody she could rely on and trust.

Out of a sudden instinct she kissed him, making it impossible for him to speak anymore. He was reluctant at first but relaxed and responded to her soft touch. He knew he was acting childish; he couldn't protect her from everything and everybody, they both were soldiers after all, but in Joliet he had been worried already and this time she had almost died and the thought of losing her alone was almost too much for him. He was afraid and didn't know what to do so he had tried to distance himself from her. He was confused and scared and all he wanted to do right now was holding her close to him and never let her go again.

Suddenly he felt her hand slip under his shirt and over his chest and he broke the kiss.

"What are you doing?" he asked quietly.

"Why?" she answered with a quiet smile. "Don't like it?"

He didn't answer but the sudden kindness in his eyes told her enough. His jacket fell to the floor first followed by his shirt. They kissed again, more passionately this time and he suddenly pulled her hips against his, making them both groan.

They grinned at each other, both of them feeling a little bit nervous but at the same time strangely happy. They weren't thinking logically anymore, but they felt what they were doing was right and just followed their feelings. She wanted to touch him, feel him, taste him. It wasn't a rational thought but she felt she wanted – needed – him. They slowly moved towards his bed, kissing each other passionately, their hands exploring each other's body with curiosity but still almost timidly.

When they finally lay on the bed with all of their clothing lying around them on the floor he was on top of her and his hands slowly trailed down her legs pulling them apart slightly so he could fit his body between them while he softly kissed her neck. She moaned happily with her eyes half closed, feeling pleasure and desire and she also felt how her body reacted to his touch, having craved him for so long. Suddenly she frowned and looked up at him when he stopped moving. She could see the desire in his eyes as well but also the concern that was there.

"Are you sure you want this?" he whispered hoarsely.

She smiled again at his kind concern and softly caressed his cheek.

"I don't want _this_" she said emphasizing the last word. "I want you! Only you! I love you, 451!"

He smiled warmly upon hearing the words he'd wanted to hear for so long but had been afraid to say out loud himself until now.

"I love you too, 301, with all my heart and my life!"

She smiled, feeling happier than ever before. She placed a hand on his neck and gently pulled him closer, claiming his lips once again. Not breaking the kiss he then slowly pressed his hips forward slowly sinking into her and they both moaned in pleasure when their bodies finally became one.

* * *

A few minutes later Lieutenant Linder was approaching the quarters of the two Americans. He had to inform them about when one of the Cougars would bring them back to the airport. He was about to press down the door handle when he suddenly stopped upon hearing a strange noise coming from inside the room. He frowned and listened carefully but when he heard a soft moan again he was sure he hadn't been mistaken and a broad smile appeared on his lips. Carefully trying not to disturb his guests he let go of the door handle and left the place trying not to make a sound. While he was walking back to his own room he was still grinning. There had been losses and the world certainly still was a bad place most of the time but it seemed like at least those two had found their happiness.

* * *

**Not much to say here. I hope you liked it.**

**In the next chapter you're finally gonna find out who I will pair Alec with (if you haven't already;) )**

**Give me some motivation and I give you an update (subtle as usual, I know)**


	28. Chapter 28

Okay, I know I'm late I'd like to apologize for the delay but for a change I have a good excuse as I've just come home from three days in my own little Manticore. Forgive me if you can, please.

**Taeniaea:** Thanks again. I'm always surprised how fast you are ;)

**452max:** Hm, you will find out some good things in this chapter, but also some of the bad sort. Read and enjoy and thanks to you, too!

**Dutch:** Welcome on board and thanks for the review. I hope you'll like the rest of the story to and I'm looking forward to hear from you again.

**roseyangel:** Thanks to you, too! Are they going to be in trouble? Sure! Sooner or later! Hey, I mean, you know me, right? ;) I understand that the idea of X5s together can be a little bit difficult at first and I've been thinking a lot about it. But after all they're not related to each other on a genetic level (with a few exceptions like Max and Wolf, of course) so this isn't the problem. Considering them as brother and sister is understandable but here also I tried to show that they are really, really close friends. I made my decision after I thought about a very good friend of mine who married a girl he knew since his childhood. His situation was very much like Kyla's and Wolf's; he has seen that girl almost on a daily basis and they did a lot of things together but still they didn't see each other as brother and sister and so I think it is possible. I don't know yet if I'm ever gonna write my own story, not today and not tomorrow, that's for sure, but perhaps sometimes in the future, who knows? Thanks again!

Okay, thanks to everybody and here we go!

* * *

char list

**X5-154 aka Nova** The blond transgenic is the medic of unit two. She's one of the smallest X5 but nevertheless can take care of herself just fine. Other than that she's one of the X5 with the most experience in missions outside Manticore. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-194 aka Blade** Member of unit two. The Asian woman is one of the few that could actually beat her CO or her 2IC in a hand-to-hand combat. She is almost obsessed with any sort of blades and usually tries not to use firearms. Has no shark but snake DNA.

**X5-210 aka Jondy** As children Max and Jondy had been in unit one and escaped together in '09. Jondy got caught by Lydecker months before Max and has joined unit two. She is loyal to Manticore and her unit but this doesn't mean she likes everybody around the base. Eventually she even refers to Lydecker that he 'can be an asshole sometimes'. Nevertheless she chose to stay out of her free will and hopes Max will be in her unit for she deeply cares about her younger sister.

**X5-258 aka Nitro** Member of unit two. The young blond man adores every sort of vehicle. He's one of the more unsettled X5. KIA after the mission in Joliet.

**X5-301 aka Kyla** 2IC of unit two. Usually paired with Wolf during their missions. The two of them have the most experience throughout the X-series when it comes to combat missions and search and destroy and both of them are very well trained in close quarter combat and hand-to-hand fights. Over the years she has developed a strong affection towards Wolf but being soldiers first and inexperienced with this kind of emotions none of them has had the courage to make the next step yet.

**X5-367 aka Havoc** Member of unit two. The black haired and tanned transgenic is the unit's expert when it comes to explosives. He is almost as calm as 439 and is known for his subtle sense of humor. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-439 aka Artemis** Member of unit two. She's the sniper of her unit. Her rather calm and controlled self helps the others from getting out of hand too much. Like Wolf and Kyla she keeps her brown hair very short as she thinks it would hinder her otherwise.

**X5-451 aka Wolf** CO of unit two and Max's genetic brother. Just like his partner Kyla he had been developed for combat operations. His intense grey eyes and very short black hair clearly let him look like the soldier he is and his knowledge about almost any sort of combat makes him a deadly enemy. Over the years he has developed a strong affection towards Kyla but being soldiers first and inexperienced with this kind of emotions none of them has had the courage to make the next step yet.

**X5-494 aka Alec** Member of unit two and third in the chain of command. He has become sort the unit's unofficial leader as Wolf and Kyla often are on outside missions. He can be sort of a smart ass sometimes but he usually knows when to stop. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-526 aka Bear** Member of unit two. He's the biggest and strongest X5 in the unit and prefers heavy weapons. Nevertheless he's very gentle and almost never gets angry. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-734 aka Brin** After her return to Manticore she underwent a very brutal reindoctrination which left her brainwashed and only partly able to make independent decisions. She has been under Director Renfro's command until Renfro had to leave the Wyoming facility. Currently Brin's not part of a unit but assigned to where she's needed.

**X5-798 aka Jace** She was the only one staying behind during the '09 escape out of her free will. She's currently a member of unit five.

* * *

The flight was amazingly calm in an almost surreal way, Alec decided for himself while he was listening to the pilot talking about their route and estimated time of arrival. The solution to their problems had been incredibly simple compared to their original problem. After they had made it out of Montpellier, stealing a car and driving through the night they had arrived at Marseille in the morning and in a bold act the five transgenics had contacted the US embassy. That wasn't just unusual, it was highly forbidden! Revealing himself and his team to the official ambassador of the United States in a foreign country could cause diplomatic problems nobody could exactly predict.

Until now they seemed to be fine, though, at least when you considered the circumstances. The local CIA officer and the ambassador himself had breathed fire and brimstone after Alec had identified himself as a Captain of the US army spec ops and had told them was a military operation going on in their area of responsibility without their knowledge and the male X5 was sure he would be in trouble when they came home but there simply hadn't been another option.

Bringing his injured team members to a hospital hadn't been an option; unlike in Joliet their enemies were much too numerous and certainly had enough manpower this time to watch out for them at every hospital they could get to in time. And they had needed medical attention, badly. By the time they got to the embassy Brin had been feverish; not even her transgenic immune system had been able to fight back the infection her wound had caused and Max's lung really had been punctured, making it not only very painful and difficult for her to breathe but the injury could also become a threat to her life if not treated properly.

Upon seeing how badly wounded the two young women were, the ambassador – a veteran of the second Gulf War himself – had calmed down a little bit and the embassy's physician had done his best to help the transgenics. Somehow the older man had even managed to get the embassy's plane ready within two hours and now Alec and his team were on their way home and – hopefully – to safety.

Alec nodded towards the pilot when the man had ended his monologue and excited the cockpit, walking through the small corridor towards the passenger cabin. Jace and Jondy, whose hand was in a cast, looked up upon his entrance but he signaled them to be quiet and proceeded towards the two other members of his team who still were asleep upon two of the small couches. Brin looked a little bit better; not as pale as before and with her eyes closed in her sleep almost peaceful. Max on the other hand still looked hurt, her beautiful features harder than usually even while she was not awake. The embassy's physician had done everything he could but without the equipment of a hospital he had only been able to stabilize her; the lung was still injured and breathing a painful duty for her, but at least she would make it now until they reached Manticore. Or so he hoped.

He felt frustrated and anxious; not being able to do more for her bothered him to no end. He had to admit that while that brown haired '09er girl had unsettled him a little bit at the beginning and had been the cause of some major trouble he had developed a deep friendship towards her after some time and right now, after this mission and the talk they'd had before last night he also felt something else. It was more than a CO's concern towards an injured soldier and something else than simple friendship.

It wasn't the same he had felt towards Rachel, though. With Rachel it had been a pure, straightforward attraction. With Max however it was more like a constant emotional roller coaster ride. One moment he felt like snapping at her, the other one he wanted to pull her close and comfort her. He knew she felt confused sometimes, mostly when something reminded her of her past outside Manticore. There were times where he could almost feel her inner conflict, the feeling of loyalty towards Manticore against her wish to be free and decide on her own what to do. Until now she had always chosen Manticore and he prayed that it would stay that way; he didn't want to have to see her as an enemy and a deserter again, not after everything they had gone through together until now.

To be honest he was quite sure he wouldn't be able to do so even if the order would come from Lydecker himself.

She suddenly flinched and grimaced in pain and he could hear the barely audible moan that escaped her lips but she didn't wake up. Out of instinct he knelt down at her side and took her hand in his and had to hold back a surprised frown when she unconsciously squeezed his hand. His eyes softened as he watched her relax just a little bit and he smiled without really noticing it.

A few meters away Jondy grinned and elbowed Jace slightly in the ribs and the other woman frowned and followed her teammates gaze, then an understanding grin appeared on her face as well.

They stayed like that for about half an hour until the pilot announced they had entered American airspace. Alec sighed and moved to stand up but stopped when Jondy silently signaled him to stay and proceeded towards the cockpit herself. The brown haired transgenic sighed when she put on the headset and adjusted the radio to the encrypted frequency Manticore used. Now this would be an interesting conversation.

* * *

When Lydecker entered Manticore's comm room a few minutes later his face was an unreadable mask. The team that had gone to Edinburgh had returned the previous day and reported that they'd found nothing; apparently the men they were after had already left the place before his soldiers had arrived. He was almost sure by now that there was a traitor in his organization.

The second team however had not contacted them until just now and that meant they had run into trouble. When no word was heard from them Lydecker and his subordinates had started to search them, but until now there had been nothing. When he had heard they'd made contact over wireless he'd breathed a sigh of relief and was now eager to hear what they had to say.

He wordlessly greeted the officer on duty and put on the headset.

"This is Lydecker!"

"_Sir, X5-210 reporting, sir!"_ Even over all the static he recognized Jondy's voice immediately and a small and relieved smile appeared on his face.

"It's good to hear you, 210. What's your status?"

"_We're on our way home, sir, we've entered American airspace a few minutes ago."_ How had they been able to get on a plane without him knowing it? They had looked out for them after all! _"The ambassador in Marseille borrowed us his jet."_

"Say again, soldier!" Lydecker ordered Max's sister sharply after a second of shocked silence.

"_We had to contact the US embassy in Marseille and are on our way home, sir"_ Jondy repeated with a stoic voice.

"_What made you contact an official embassy of the United States? You better have a damned good reason for that, soldier!"_

"_We have, sir."_ She still sounded calm but the old Colonel could hear the small undertone of stress in her voice. _"Our team ran into a hostile TAC unit. There were at least thirty of them and from what I've seen they were all enhanced. We had to retreat and 734 and 452 were critically injured; we had no other possibility to get them immediate treatment and a fast way to get home."_

"_How badly are they injured?"_ Despite his anger that they had broken the rules – again, as he added subconsciously – he knew there were always two sides to a story and hearing that two of his children – one of them Max – were injured was enough to let him hold back his anger at the moment.

"_734 has a broken leg and a severe infection, but it is under control. 452 has a few broken ribs and it seems that one of them has punctured her lung. She's stable at the moment but she will need surgery."_

"Understood." His voice was cold and focused; although hearing about Max's severe wounds made him worry about her even more he knew he couldn't allow himself to let his fear cloud his judgment. They had to be quick now. "I'll instruct your pilot where to land and a team will be there to pick you up and bring you back."

"_Understood, sir!"_

"Over and out!"

He turned towards the officer on duty and they quickly worked out where to direct the plane. While the other man gave the pilot the coordinates Lydecker was thinking about what he had just heard and although he was worried about his kids the anxious mentor and father in him was quickly replaced by the military tactician. Their problems seemed to grow each day; not only was that mysterious fraction of bioengineered men bigger than they had expected and apparently aggressive enough to execute offensive operations but there were also some rumors about some strange kind of breeding cult and the Red Cell seemed to grow more ambitious again, too.

He sighed and left the room after the comm officer had assured him everything was going to work like planned. At least this time everybody would come home alive; unfortunately only to face the next threat sooner or later.

What he didn't know at that moment was that the danger was much closer than he suspected.

* * *

_Washington D.C._

"Ladies and Gentlemen" Renfro's voice echoed through the large room, "I've requested this hearing to protest against repeated and severe violation and noncompliance of the regulations of the Manticore program in our installation in Wyoming."

She was standing behind a small table looking at the six men and women sitting behind their own tables in front of her with a calm focus. The two high-ranking officers and four politicians who represented the committee looked at her with a mixture of interest and suspicion; they knew about the power struggle between her and Lydecker.

"During the past weeks and months the head of the Wyoming facility has ignored several violations of the rules this committee has enacted for the genetically engineered soldiers of the X-series. Several transgenic prototypes have ignored orders and directives and there was almost no punishment. In one case Colonel Lydecker ordered a commanding officer of a unit into PsyOps, but reinstated him in his old position immediately after his release. Those facts alone are – at least in my eyes – serious and even dangerous mistakes." She paused and let her words sink in before she presented her best argument: "And the last and most serious incident has taken place not even 48 hours ago. A unit of the Swiss Special Forces has attacked and destroyed a target in Italy; before their attack they got intel on the target from Colonel Lydecker and during the attack they were supported by at least two X5. No official order had been given, no such mission has ever been approved by the committee. This mission has been ordered and carried out in Colonel Lydecker's personal interest."

To say the committee members were stunned after her last piece of information would have been the understatement of the century. They looked at her with shocked expressions and none of them seemed to be able to speak a word until one of the officers finally cleared his throat.

"Donald Lydecker is a very experienced and highly decorated officer. I'm sure you know that we will need more than just your word on this if you want us to investigate your accusations. Do you have any concrete evidence you can present us?"

"Of course, sir" the blonde Renfro nodded and opened the envelope folder she had placed on the table before her, handing over several documents to the man.

During the next minutes nobody said a word while the men and women went through the files but the expressions on the committee members' faces and the darkening looks in their eyes told her more than enough and while she waited with a stoic expression on her face Elizabeth Renfro felt an overwhelming joy inside herself; the attack on Saint-Vincent had been a disaster for her organization but it seemed that something good would come out of this whole affair in the end.

Donald Lydecker was finally going to fall!

* * *

_Fortress Delta – South of Switzerland_

Wolf looked at Kyla who was still asleep with kind eyes and listened to her shallow and even breathing. They were still lying in his bed; her head rested on his chest and her right arm around his upper body, like she wanted to make sure he wasn't going anywhere. Not that he intended to do so at all.

His eyes wandered over the parts of her perfect body that weren't covered by the thin blanket and back to her beautiful face while he thought about what had happened last night. He couldn't help but grin upon remembering their shy and clumsy behavior at the beginning. It had been something new for both of them and neither one had really known what to expect or to do. He had known it would be something intense and intimately pleasurable but he'd had no idea it was going to be that pleasurable. And most of all the feelings he'd experienced when he finally had been together with her had almost overwhelmed him; they were confusing and of an intensity that had almost scared him at first. But no more. His grin turned into a warm smile when the memories of the passion and most of all the love they'd felt towards each other came back to his mind.

Yes, it was love, he was sure about it. He would do anything for her, to protect her, to hold her close, to make her feel better. It wasn't the kind of fluffy and exaggerated love he'd heard and read about outside Manticore, the one ordinaries spoke about so much. As a matter of fact he didn't think that such a feeling really existed at all.

No, what he felt towards Kyla was a deep and warm affection, calm and comforting but without compromise, the knowledge of the other's feelings and needs and the absolute certainty that they belonged to each other. They were bonded now, there were no boundaries between them anymore, no secrets.

Suddenly she stirred and after some seconds opened her beautiful green eyes and looked first at him and then at her environment sleepily. He couldn't help but grin again when he saw her like that; this was nothing like her usual self; she looked so pure and innocent in this moment.

She looked at him again, this time a little bit more awake.

"Hey" she whispered with a tiny but happy smile.

"Hey yourself."

She let her head sink back onto his chest and closed her eyes again but he could see from the concentrated look on her face that she was thinking intensely. He just kept looking at her, giving her time to think while his fingertips tenderly caressed over her back.

"Wolf?" she suddenly spoke up but kept her eyes closed. She tried to sound calm but he could hear the tense undertone in his voice and with her body against his own he could also feel her strain. "Do you…did we…?"

She trailed off apparently lost for words.

"Look at me!" he demanded softly and she reluctantly opened her eyes. He knew what she was thinking about and he could understand her but she had no reason to be afraid. "Kyla, I want you to know that I regret nothing and I really hope neither do you. You're the most important person in my life and I will do everything I can to make you happy because I love you with all my heart. I do not regret anything."

It was true. He knew it was forbidden, Manticore, his training, his very instinct as a soldier told him that it was wrong what he was doing. She was a part of his team, they were not supposed to be together. And they were X5s, their mission was not to love but to fight. But they were not soldiers anymore, not in that room, not when lying in each other's arms. In here they were just two young people in love with each other and nobody should even think about taking that away from them.

She looked at him, the serious look on her face not gone yet but the anxious and questioning look in her eyes had vanished and he could see a small but quickly growing spark of happiness.

"Neither do I" she finally answered quietly. For a few moments they kept looking at each other until both of them suddenly grinned unsure what to do or say next and out of a sudden Kyla giggled and tried to hide her face from him. He just grinned and subconsciously noticed that he'd never heard her giggle before. It sounded good; carefree and happy. When she had calmed down she looked at him again and every sign of worry or doubt was gone and she beamed with happiness. She gave him a weird smirk. "We are one weird couple, you know that?"

"Yeah, but a good one" he agreed.

She nodded. "Yes, we are. I love you too, Wolf, more than I can explain."

They kissed again, not passionately like last night but slowly and tenderly, enjoying the closeness to each other. When their lips parted none of them moved, green eyes kept looking into grey ones. No words, no explanations were needed and they rested like that in calm and happy silence for a long time.

After a while they unfortunately heard the sound of somebody approaching their quarters and got aware of the fact that they were not alone again. Only seconds later there was a knock on the door.

"Captain, Lieutenant?" they heard Linder's voice. "I'm sorry to wake you up but you only have half an hour left before the Cougar will bring you back to the airport."

"Yes, thank you, Lieutenant" Wolf called holding back an annoyed groan. "We will be with you in a few minutes."

"Take your time, sir!" was the answer and they heard the young officer leave.

Wolf sighed and looked at Kyla with an apologetic look in his eyes. "Looks like we have to get up."

"Yeah" she sighed.

A few minutes later they were dressed and left the quarters and joined the young platoon leader who was waiting for them at the end of the corridor. He gave them a look Kyla couldn't really identify and grinned mischievously. She didn't say anything but somehow she couldn't get rid of the feeling that the young man knew exactly what had happened between his two guests.

A while later they were officially dismissed by Colonel Meyer and sat in the Cougar and were headed towards Geneva again where they would board a plane and fly home. This time Lieutenant Linder was their only escort and the fact that the young officer didn't talk and just shot them an amused glance from time to time was beginning to get on Kyla's nerves but she chose to ignore it. They arrived at the airport and the helicopter landed almost exactly on the same spot where they'd been picked up not long ago.

"It's been an honor, Lieutenant" Wolf said and the two men shook hands.

"The honor's all mine, sir" the young spec ops officer replied nodding towards Kyla, too. Just when the two transgenics turned around to leave the young man asked something none of them had expected. "What's your designation?"

Even with all their training and experience the shock on their faces was very well visible. Nevertheless Wolf tried to play the incomprehension-card.

"What do you mean?"

"I'd like to know your designations."

"I'm Captain Anderson and this is Lieutenant Myers, we've told the very first time we met."

"Oh, please" Linder sighed sounding disappointed and a little bit impatient. "After you have seen what my unit is able to do and how we reacted to your own special 'abilities', do you really still believe Manticore is as secret as your superiors would like it to be? Or as unique?"

Both transgenics watched the young man in shock and Kyla felt her body tense, preparing herself for a battle. None of the two Manticore soldiers moved but they shot each other a confused and worried glance. It was no big surprise after all that Linder and his soldiers were enhanced, too, they had known about that after the battle in Italy. But that they knew about Manticore and claimed to be similar to the X-series surprised and confused them. Linder continued.

"In this country were and are some of the mightiest and best pharmaceutical companies, do you really think they never tried to produce enhanced soldiers as well?" He sighed again and looked at the two worried transgenics. "I don't know much about Manticore, only that it exists and that it is very similar to us. Don't worry, we won't tell anybody or we would be in the same trouble like you. Our countries are not really allies, but we certainly aren't enemies either. I'm not a threat to you. We have fought together and I probably owe you my life, Captain; you know you can trust me so please, what's your designation?"

When neither of them answered the young officer rolled up the right sleeve of his sweater until both transgenics could see a black tattoo on his shoulder. It read:

D-26

"Mine is Delta two-six, nickname Mike Linder. Born and grown up in Fortress Delta. Platoon leader in the genetically engineered Silent Response and Tactical Unit" Linder continued and his voice was void of the carelessness that had been there seconds ago but instead he sounded calm and serious. He expectantly looked at the two transgenics who seemed to have calmed down a little bit. "Your turn."

"X5-451" Wolf reluctantly answered. He knew he shouldn't but Linder was right; somehow he knew they could trust him and although finding some kind of distant relative on the other side of the planet had not been something he had seen coming he felt some kind of joy. And denying the truth would serve no purpose anymore. Linder knew about them already and just wanted to know at whose side he had been fighting and Wolf could understand that very well. "Nickname is Wolf. Manticore."

"X5-301, Kyla" she said. Somehow the old saying seemed to be true. If you have fought the enemy together with someone else you just know this person and she could feel Mike Linder would not betray them. "Manticore."

"That was not so hard, was it?" Mike grinned again and the two Manticore soldiers had small smiles on their lips as well. "Okay, let's get you inside this airport; the Colonel would kill me if you miss your flight."

"How did you get to know about us?" Kyla asked while they were slowly walking over the airfield towards the huge Terminal Hall.

"I stole some of the Colonel's documents." Kyla snorted and looked at their new soul mate who grinned upon her reaction but nodded. "No, really, I did. I was about seven or years old and I, well, I just stole them because I wanted to know what somebody like Colonel Meyer would get to read. There was a small report on a Project Manticore in the US. I didn't understand much of it, but after Meyer found out what I had done he decided that it would be best if we learned about others that perhaps were like us; faster and stronger than the usual adversary. I'm quite surprised you've never heard about us before. I'm almost sure your superior knows about us. He and Meyer even seem to know each other."

Kyla nodded and mentally noted to ask Lydecker about this when they got home.

"And you pulled off this whole operation by yourself?" Wolf wanted to know, referring to the research and development that was needed for a project as complex as genetically enhanced soldiers.

"No, we didn't. As far as I know it was some sort of joint project. Us, the Germans, the French and some guys from Britain. All of them have at least one installation like Fortress Delta in their countries, but don't ask me details, I don't know." They had arrived outside the Terminal. "So, this is it. I was looking forward to have this talk. It's nice to know that we're not the only ones of our kind."

"It is indeed" Kyla agreed and smiled. "Until next time, perhaps."

"Yeah" Wolf agreed. "I admit I would like to work with you again."

"So do I" Mike Linder assured the two Manticore soldiers while they shook hands a last time. "But even if we won't see each other for a long time, always remember that you have friends out here now."

"We will. Thank you Mike and goodbye!"

They nodded towards each other and while Mike walked back to the Cougar Wolf and Kyla entered the terminal to get on their plane that would bring them home. Little did they know that they would see each other sooner than any of them thought at the moment and under circumstances much more dangerous than this time.

* * *

**For all of you who are screaming at there screen now "YOU PROMISED NOT TO MAKE IT M/A!": No, I didn't. I said I wouldn't do it at the moment but this moment is long gone. And second I said that if I made it M/A it would not be some fluffy kind of relationship. So even if you're not an M/A fan I can assure you you can continue to read this story.**

**Then you probably have noticed that I'm getting near to the end of this story. So their relationship will not be too deep already because that's something that needs time in my opinion.**

**And third: For those who would like to read more about unit two, his members and enemies, I'm planning a sequel, so if you want to comment that plan: Please, feel free to do so, I'd appreciate it.**

**And yeah, even while I'm getting closer to the end I still need motivation. You know what I mean, right? ;)**


	29. Chapter 29

Well, it looks like I lost some reviewers here. Is it springbreak in the US already? However thanks to all of you who have reviewed!

**452max:** Thanks for your review once again. I'm thinking about how I could make the sequel. And yes, you'll see more about Alec and Max but as I said before, I like to take things slowly.

**roseyangel:** I always appreciate constructive criticism, keeps me on track, so don't worry and tell me again when you think something's odd or not right at all. I'd like to get your e-mail although I cannot promise I will be able to use all of your suggestions. Thanks to you, too.

**Taeniaea:** Thanks again!

**JOUNOUCHI sama:** Well, I was thinking about it, believe me, but I came to the conclusion that I wanted to have a pairing for Max in the long run so, well, you get it. I unfortunately don't have a hotmail account but I have displayed my e-mail in my profile now and yes, I'd like to know about your ideas. Thanks to you, too.

Okay, as I said previously, we're getting closer to the end now. Like always the char list first and then chapter 29. Read and enjoy!

* * *

char list

**X5-154 aka Nova** The blond transgenic is the medic of unit two. She's one of the smallest X5 but nevertheless can take care of herself just fine. Other than that she's one of the X5 with the most experience in missions outside Manticore. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-194 aka Blade** Member of unit two. The Asian woman is one of the few that could actually beat her CO or her 2IC in a hand-to-hand combat. She is almost obsessed with any sort of blades and usually tries not to use firearms. Has no shark but snake DNA.

**X5-210 aka Jondy** As children Max and Jondy had been in unit one and escaped together in '09. Jondy got caught by Lydecker months before Max and has joined unit two. She is loyal to Manticore and her unit but this doesn't mean she likes everybody around the base. Eventually she even refers to Lydecker that he 'can be an asshole sometimes'. Nevertheless she chose to stay out of her free will and hopes Max will be in her unit for she deeply cares about her younger sister.

**X5-258 aka Nitro** Member of unit two. The young blond man adores every sort of vehicle. He's one of the more unsettled X5. KIA after the mission in Joliet.

**X5-301 aka Kyla** 2IC of unit two. Usually paired with Wolf during their missions. The two of them have the most experience throughout the X-series when it comes to combat missions and search and destroy and both of them are very well trained in close quarter combat and hand-to-hand fights. Over the years she has developed a strong affection towards Wolf but being soldiers first and inexperienced with this kind of emotions none of them has had the courage to make the next step yet.

**X5-367 aka Havoc** Member of unit two. The black haired and tanned transgenic is the unit's expert when it comes to explosives. He is almost as calm as 439 and is known for his subtle sense of humor. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-439 aka Artemis** Member of unit two. She's the sniper of her unit. Her rather calm and controlled self helps the others from getting out of hand too much. Like Wolf and Kyla she keeps her brown hair very short as she thinks it would hinder her otherwise.

**X5-451 aka Wolf** CO of unit two and Max's genetic brother. Just like his partner Kyla he had been developed for combat operations. His intense grey eyes and very short black hair clearly let him look like the soldier he is and his knowledge about almost any sort of combat makes him a deadly enemy. Over the years he has developed a strong affection towards Kyla but being soldiers first and inexperienced with this kind of emotions none of them has had the courage to make the next step yet.

**X5-494 aka Alec** Member of unit two and third in the chain of command. He has become sort the unit's unofficial leader as Wolf and Kyla often are on outside missions. He can be sort of a smart ass sometimes but he usually knows when to stop. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-526 aka Bear** Member of unit two. He's the biggest and strongest X5 in the unit and prefers heavy weapons. Nevertheless he's very gentle and almost never gets angry. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-734 aka Brin** After her return to Manticore she underwent a very brutal reindoctrination which left her brainwashed and only partly able to make independent decisions. She has been under Director Renfro's command until Renfro had to leave the Wyoming facility. After having been a specialist for one-man missions for some time Brin got assigned to unit two after the mission in Montpellier. It seems like she slowly gets back some of her memories, most of all about her brother Zane.

**X5-798 aka Jace** She was the only one staying behind during the '09 escape out of her free will. She has been a member of unit five but got assigned to unit two after the mission in Montpellier._

* * *

_

_Two weeks later – Manticore Headquarters Gilette, Wyoming_

Jondy sighed and cursed silently, feeling frustrated while looking at the computer screen before her. Three days. For three long and frustrating days she'd been trying to reconstruct some of the data Kyla and Wolf had brought back from Italy but until know all she had was a scraggy jumble of numbers; whoever had destroyed that computer network was good. But she was better!

She flexed her fingers which still felt a little bit stiff even after the bones had healed and the cast had been taken off and typed in another series of codes, then shot the external hard drive Kyla had given her a threatening glare. She was the best at programming and computers, had always been; not even Jesse or Zane had been able to beat her when it came to hacking. This was a very difficult problem but she would find the solution even if it meant spending a whole week in front of that screen. At least it kept her from doing the less pleasant things the rest of her unit had to do at the moment.

That thought brought an almost mischievous smile to her lips.

* * *

"Tell me again why we have to do that every month" Max groaned while they were walking towards the exit of their barracks only wearing their grey gowns once again.

"To make sure we stay in shape, that's all" Kyla answered simply. "Don't worry, Max, a few minutes in there and we'll be out again."

Max looked at the shorthaired woman at her side. Ever since she and Wolf came back from their last mission the 2IC seemed to be in an unusually good mood. She looked more vivid and, well, happy than Max had seen her ever before and her natural curiosity was driving her crazy. Damned feline DNA!

"Okay, what's up?" she wanted to know from her slightly older friend, finally losing her patience. Kyla looked up in surprise.

"What?"

"Ever since you came back you're looking like bright sunshine and you smile all the time. What happened?"

Kyla blushed slightly and looked away. That was all it took to convince Max completely. Kyla didn't blush; she was one of the coldest and self-controlled soldiers Manticore had ever created. Something really important must have happened.

"Come on" she pressed. "Tell me!"

"It's nothing" the older X5 answered but couldn't get rid of that happy smile on her face.

"It's not like I'm the only one who noticed, you know" Max said and grinned at the slightly surprised look on her superior's face. "Until now nobody dared to ask but sooner or later you'll have to tell somebody."

"Stop trying already, Max" Kyla tried to shut her up. "I won't tell you!"

"What? I won't tell the whole facility." Max grinned and nudged her slightly. "I mean, it's not like you slept with my brother, right?"

It took transgenic sight and attention to notice the slight hesitation in Kyla's movement upon hearing that last statement but Max saw it nevertheless and she stopped dead in her tracks.

"You didn't!" she exclaimed causing Kyla to stop and turn around to look at her. Max grinned brighter than ever. "Tell me you didn't! Did you?"

Kyla blushed even more and grinned feeling a little bit embarrassed and looked at Max warily. The younger woman laughed out loud before she embraced her sister into a tight hug. After they'd let go of each other Max just looked at her with a kind look in her eyes and a warm smile.

"I'm very happy for you, Kyla. For both of you. Like Blade said, it was about damned time!" Max said quietly meaning every word. "Now tell me, when did it happen?"

"You must not tell anybody, okay?" Kyla demanded and sighed when Max nodded, feeling relieved she didn't reprimand her for what had happened. Ever since she'd come to know the younger transgenic Kyla had felt Max could be trusted and she knew her younger sister would not betray her; she didn't want the whole unit – most of all Alec, gods forbid! – to know about her and Wolf already. "It was after the mission debriefing in Switzerland. We argued in our quarters, it was pretty nasty. After he said something I _really_ didn't like I slapped him. Can you imagine that? Anyway, he apologized and we got closer and…well…"

Kyla trailed off looking more embarrassed than Max had ever seen her but the smile on her face was still the same.

"Ah" the younger X5 said and grinned. "Make-up sex!"

Kyla frowned and hit her in mock anger. "You have a dirty mind, Max!"

"Sure I do! Okay, give me some details!"

"Yeah, right!" Kyla snorted. "Not gonna happen, 452, not ever."

"I'll find out sooner or later anyway" Max reminded her.

"I'll prefer later. Okay, move, soldier, I don't want to be late!" Despite her words Kyla's voice was kind and she shook her head in amusement upon her younger sibling's curiousness and joy.

"Aye, aye, ma'am" Max replied and together they made their way towards where there next exercise would take place. Just before they left the barracks Max face became very serious all of a sudden and she held her friend back once again. "Wait! Did you…did you use any sort of protection?"

Kyla looked at her and took a deep breath. "No, we didn't. I know what you want to say. It was stupid, I know, and when I thought about it the first time I was scared to death. No way Manticore will ever allow us to have a baby."

"So, are you…" Max trailed off dreading the answer.

"No" Kyla shook her head smiling gently. It always surprised her again how caring Max could be on one hand while she was a top soldier on the other and she really appreciated the way her sister cared for her. "No, I'm not. I had my period last week."

"Thank God" Max sighed but looked at her 2IC almost startled as soon as the words had left her mouth. "Don't get me wrong! I didn't want to say…"

"I know, what you wanted to say" Kyla interrupted her kindly, "and you're right. It's better like that and we'll be more careful in the future. Just don't tell the others, I don't want them to know yet."

"I won't" Max said with a tiny smile feeling relieved Kyla hadn't gotten her wrong.

"Okay, then let's go. If we're late Lydecker will give us an extra minute. And Max? Thank you!"

The younger X5 just nodded and they finally left the barracks quickly making their way to where Wolf and Alec were already waiting for them.

"Just in time" Lydecker greeted them with a warning look. Twenty-two seconds early, to be exact. "Okay, ready?"

The four X5s stood on the edge of the tank and nodded.

"You know how this works" Lydecker reminded them. "Seven minutes. Three…two…one…GO!"

At his sharp command the four transgenics drew a deep breath and jumped into the cold water of the tank. Once under water they quickly reached the bottom and secured the metal clamps that would hold them there around their ankles, after that they tried to remain as motionless as possible, saving as much oxygen as they could.

Max had her eyes closed and tried not to move just like the others, with her hands folded in her lap and her knees barely touching the bottom of the tank. She felt the cold wetness softly caressing her skin and slightly moving the grey gown she was wearing and all she heard was the silence of the water that had engulfed her and the heartbeats of the three other transgenics that were with her; to her left was Alec and Kyla was to her right while Wolf was a little bit farther away, right next to Kyla. It would have been almost peaceful and comfortable had it not been for the metal clamp around her ankle that held her at the bottom of the water tank.

She didn't like those exercises and probably never would; it was a painful reminder of her childhood and she didn't like being trapped like this. She opened her eyes and looked at the window that allowed their trainers to watch them. Coleman was standing at the controls and Lydecker who was holding a stopwatch in his hand and kept looking at them.

Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her chest and could barely hold back a gasp at the last moment. It wouldn't do her any good, not while she was still underwater. She shook her head, trying to control and fight back the pain. It had been two weeks now since they'd returned from Europe and her injuries had been taken care of; her lung had been repaired and the broken ribs had almost healed by now but still she wasn't back at one hundred percent.

_What the mind can conceive the body can achieve_

She tried to hold on to that mantra she'd been told so many times when she'd been a child but the pain was increasing quickly now. Lydecker frowned at her. He sensed something was wrong.

_What the mind can conceive the body can…_

Another sharp bolt of pain shot through her and she opened her mouth and some of the precious oxygen left her body.

Her body tensed and she clenched her hands into fists while frantically trying to calm down like she'd been told but she couldn't. Her friends felt her trouble and looked at her with worried expressions on their faces.

_What the mind can conceive…_

The pain was just too much and she felt the rising panic, threatening to take over her control completely. She knew she shouldn't panic, it only made her body consume more of the little oxygen she had left but there was nothing she could do about. Out of the corner of her eye she could see how Wolf moved and tried to get to her but he was too far away and the clamp around his ankle held him back. The young X5 then looked at his superiors through the glass and signaled them to abort.

Coleman glanced at his superior and Lydecker hesitated for a brief moment before he shook his head. It pained him to see his Max like this but she had to be as strong as all of the others or she would not be able to keep up with them when it came to the next fight.

Her panic became too much for her and although she knew it was a futile attempt Max pushed off the bottom of the tank and frantically tried to get to the surface but before she could reach it the metal clamp held her back. She felt hands on her pulling her back down and tried to fight them off but Alec and Kyla still got her to the bottom of the tank again despite her resistance.

She could barely think anymore and didn't register the attempts of her siblings to calm her down. She was in panic, her body ached for air and she didn't have any anymore. She needed to get up!

Suddenly Alec grabbed her by the neck, pulled her close and pressed his lips onto hers sharing his oxygen with her. She tried to fight him off for a second before she understood what he was doing and then tried to relax a little bit. After seconds that felt like minutes he pulled back and looked at her, not letting go of her.

She still looked panicked but it seemed like she was able to control herself now.

About twenty seconds later Lydecker nodded towards Coleman and the Major hit the controls and the clamps opened. The four transgenics broke through the surface of the water after some moments, all of them breathing heavily, gratefully taking in new oxygen after having been in that tank for seven minutes. After some seconds all of them swam towards Max who was coughing and still felt kind of dizzy.

"Max!" Wolf called out and she could hear the fear in his voice. Just because they'd made it back up didn't mean the danger was gone; she'd been pretty close this time.

"Are you okay?" Kyla asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I am" Max answered. She still felt the pain in her chest but it was better now. She turned her head towards Alec who still had a hand on her shoulder ready to hold her if she would pass out. "Alec? Thank you!"

"You're welcome" the male transgenic smiled at her, but it was not his cocky trademark grin, he looked worried but still kind and caring at the moment.

"Get her out!" Lydecker's barking order reached their ears. He had left the control room immediately after the clamps had opened and approached them at a fast pace now. Coleman was right behind him and they could see Corporal Hayden running towards them, too.

They quickly obeyed and a few seconds later Max was sitting on the edge of the tank with Alec still holding her while Wolf and Kyla pulled themselves out of the cold water.

"How are you, 452?" Lydecker wanted to know in a stern voice. It wasn't stern enough, though, for the transgenics as their enhanced hearing easily picked up the worried undertone. They were smart enough not to say anything but the quick glances Wolf, Kyla and Alec exchanged were enough to tell them they'd all heard it.

"I'm fine, Colonel" Max answered quietly. She knew she shouldn't have panicked, she'd put the whole team into trouble but she simply hadn't been able to hold back her panic. "My lung started to hurt again and I just lost control, I'm sorry. I'm fine."

"Let me decide about that, 452" Corporal Hayden answered and kneeled down besides her. The medic softly touched her side, feeling her ribs through the thin fabric of her grey gown. When he added some pressure Max suddenly flinched and hissed through clenched teeth. He let go of her immediately and couldn't help but notice how 451 took a step towards him and the warning glance the male transgenic shot him. "Sorry."

He then stood up again and turned towards the Colonel and the Major. "She's not really injured but she's not back in her usual shape yet. She should go to the infirmary so Doc Cottle can check if there's any water in her lungs, just to make sure she won't develop pneumonia."

"Agreed" Lydecker nodded. By now his voice was all controlled again and he looked at the three transgenics who were huddled around their hurt sister. "494 and 301, bring 452 to the infirmary. 451, you'll stay here. Major, Corporal, I'll see you later."

Coleman and Hayden nodded and went back to the trainers' barracks while Alec and Kyla helped Max to her feet. She felt much better but still not top. Wolf on the other hand stood before his CO with his hands behind his back and looked at him without even blinking once. When the three X5s had disappeared Lydecker watched him closely. He had noticed how the young man had reacted when Hayden's treatment had caused Max pain and he didn't like it although he could understand it.

"What were you going to do to the Corporal, soldier?" the older man wanted to know after some seconds.

"Nothing, sir."

"You looked like you were going to jump at him any second."

"Sir, his actions caused pain to 452. I understand that his treatment was necessary and I had never any intention to harm Corporal Hayden. I acted out of instinct but I had myself under control."

"You know that this exercise is necessary and that all of you have to undergo it the same way if you want to stay in shape and ready for the next battle, don't you?"

"Yes, sir, I do" Wolf answered in a stern voice. "I know it is necessary for all of us even if we're injured like 452 but with all due respect, sir, you can't expect me to like it."

Lydecker looked at him and mused over his words for a few moments. Just like Zack and Max Wolf had always been special to him. Not in the way Max was, of course, but the male transgenic had always been an extraordinary soldier, better than almost every other X5, a leader in combat who cared more about his subordinates than about himself and was loyal to the core. He remembered very well how that young boy had come to him in '09 and reported that he had let escape Max for reasons he could not explain. They would never have found out and Wolf had known it but nevertheless he had reported his mistake to his superior fully aware of the consequences that would come with his confession.

"You really care about her, don't you?" the head of the Wyoming facility asked after a few more seconds.

The transgenic soldier seemed to be a little bit surprised by this questions and it took him a few seconds until he reluctantly nodded.

"Yes, sir, I do. I care about everyone under my command."

"But you care about her more." It wasn't a question.

"Not more, sir, but in other ways" Wolf objected. He seemed to search for the right words but finally just shrugged and if the situation had been so serious Lydecker would have laughed at the almost helpless expression of his most experienced soldier. "She's my sister. I'm sorry, sir, I can't explain it otherwise."

The younger man hesitated for a second before he almost anxiously asked: "Am I in trouble now, sir?"

"No" Lydecker answered and shook his head. "No, you're not. Report to your TAC leader in thirty minutes! That'll be all, 451."

"Sir!" Wolf snapped at attention and saluted before he turned around and darted off to his unit's barracks feeling utterly relieved but also a little bit confused.

Lydecker on the other hand shook his head and allowed himself a tiny smile while he walked towards his own office. Just when he got there his phone started ringing and with a sigh he answered it.

"Lydecker!"

"_Deck, it's McGinnis."_

"John?" Lydecker replied a little bit surprised but nevertheless pleased to hear his old brother-in-arms' voice. "Haven't heard from you in some time."

"_Listen, Deck"_ McGinnis sounded very serious and Lydecker frowned. This was no friendly call. _"Renfro is on her way to you and from what I could see you're in trouble!"_

"What's the old witch about this time!" the old Colonel growled annoyed. He'd hoped he was done with that woman once and for all.

"_I don't know exactly. There was a committee meeting two weeks ago and it seemed to have something to do with one of your operations. This morning she's received an order from the committee and she left DC about three hours ago on a plane towards Wyoming with two TAC teams. I really don't know what's going on but I saw her before she left and she looked like she's out for blood."_

Lydecker frowned. It was quite clear what that blond vixen was about.

"Thank you, John, I really appreciate it. I'm sorry, but we have to finish this conversation another time, it looks like I've got some work to do."

"_You sure you're gonna be okay? Can I help?"_

"Thanks, but you've done more than enough already, I've got it covered from here."

"_Your decision. Good luck, my friend!"_

"To you too. Goodbye!"

He hung up and cursed. How did that spitfire find out? It didn't matter at the moment, though; he had to cover his tracks more carefully than he had intended to. He opened his computer and started working, deleting some files but copying most of them to his external hardware drive. If she wanted to take over he would make her life as miserable as possible!

* * *

As soon as they had entered the building Max insisted on walking on her own and her two teammates let her have her will although they followed her close enough to catch her if she'd fall which could very easily happen. X5s were tough but it wouldn't have been the first time one of them had to suffer from sudden dizziness or even unconsciousness after an incident in the water tank. The lack of oxygen had nasty side effects no one could exactly predict.

When they entered the infirmary wing Cottle looked up from his desk and frowned upon seeing the three transgenics in their wet gowns.

"Tell me it's not you needing my care again already, 452!" he gruffly greeted them. She didn't say anything but the stubborn look in her eyes told him enough. "I told you to take it easy, why don't you people never ever listen to what I say?"

"It wasn't her fault, sir" Kyla stepped in. "We were in the tank when she had problems with her lung again. Corporal Hayden said she needed to be checked to be sure no water was in her lungs."

"Damned corpsmen!" the old doctor muttered and stood up. "Wait in the examination room; I'll be with you in a few seconds. And one of you stays with her until I come back!"

"Yes sir!" Kyla replied and watched him leave, probably to get his equipment.

"I can take care of her, Kyla" Alec assured her. "Go tell Wolf what's happening before he's going crazy again."

"Are you sure?" Kyla asked but she didn't look at Alec but at Max. She would have preferred another female X5 around if she'd been in her sister's position.

"I'm okay" Max said silently and flashed her a reassuring smile, feeling her 2IC's doubts. "Thank you."

Kyla nodded and turned to leave but not without giving Alec a warning glare. The male X5 sighed and slightly put a hand on Max's shoulder and directed her to the examination room. She shrugged him off and sat on the examination bed as soon as they'd entered the room, not looking at him at all. He frowned upon her behavior but chose to ignore it. They remained in that uncomfortable silence for about a minute until Max spoke up.

"Alec?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for…well…for what you did." She sounded unsure and also a little bit embarrassed.

"You're welcome" he replied and the almost taunting undertone in his voice let her look up at him for the first time. There it was again; that self-important, cocky grin of his she hated so much but liked at the same moment.

"Don't let it get to your head" she warned him in mock annoyance, sounding more confident again. "It was not like you kissed me!"

"No, of course not!" Was it even possible that his grin could turn any bigger? "But you know now what it would be like. Wanna try again?"

"Keep dreaming, pretty boy!" she retorted but at the same time she felt how his words touched something inside her.

Before they could take their banter to a new level Cottle returned together with a nurse.

"Okay, 494, you can leave now."

"I can stay, sir."

"I will certainly not allow you to stay in here while I'm going to examine 452. One male in the room is already more than enough. Move!"

"Yes, sir!" Alec saluted and left the room but when he came past the examination table his hand slightly touched Max's arm as if by accident and she felt goose bumps appear on her skin. She looked at him surprised but he just looked at her with kind eyes and flashed her a reassuring smile before he left the room.

* * *

A few hours later Jondy was still sitting before the corrupted files of the enemy base in Italy and she was grinning like mad. She'd finally been able to get past the programming that had tried to destroy the files. There still wasn't much but it was a start. Most of the files had no origin code anymore which would make them useless for example in a court case but fortunately Manticore did not have to put up with this sort of judicial problems. She surfed through what little information she'd been able to reconstruct until now.

Suddenly she frowned and looked at one file intensely before she grew pale in a matter of seconds.

"You gotta be kidding me!" she whispered. "That goddamned backstabbing…!"

"_Unit two and X7-452: Report to classroom seven immediately!"_ came the voice out the speaker and Jondy almost jumped; this was not the Colonel's voice. _"Unit two and X7-452: Report to classroom seven immediately!"_

Jondy swore and yanked the external hardware drive Kyla had brought back from her last mission from the computer. Whatever this meeting was about she hoped the Colonel would be there; he'd like to hear what she found out. Yes, he definitely would like that!

And why would they request an X7 at the meeting, too? And why this one in particular? She had seen Max's younger clone before but had never spoken to one of the X7. They were weird, with their hive mind and all but at least this one wasn't one of the guarding types with the black eyes.

When she entered the classroom she found out she was the last to join her unit; even Jace and Brin who had been permanently assigned to unit two after the last mission were there already. She glanced at the X7 who was standing behind her chair in the front row right next to Wolf. Next she looked at Max but her sister didn't show if it bothered her that her younger self was in the same room although she still looked at little bit off-color from that incident in the water tank. She'd been released by Cottle some hours ago and Jondy had heard about the incident that had taken place earlier when she'd been in the mess. Her younger sister tried not to show it but she wasn't all up and running again yet.

Other than her unit there were only two Manticore guards around; Sergeant O'Neill and Corporal Hayden – the medic – who was unofficially keeping an eye on Max. And Major Coleman as the unit's TAC leader.

Suddenly the door opened again and Lydecker entered the room, but he was not alone. He was followed by no other than Director Renfro and nine armed PsyOps guards.

Every transgenic in the room frowned upon their entrance; first of all why was that witch back and why did she have nine of her PsyOps guards with her? This couldn't be good. Nevertheless they all snapped at attention at Wolf's sharp command.

"At ease, soldiers", Lydecker ordered and turned towards Renfro. "Now, would you please tell me what this charade is all about?"

"Of course, Deck" she answered with a gentle smile that did not reach her eyes which were full of barely hidden triumph and a dangerous joy. "I have informed the committee about your little solo attempt in Italy and how you treat your soldiers here like little children who are allowed to do anything they want. They have decided that there were some changes necessary to get the X-series back on track and they think you're not the right man to do what is necessary. From this moment on I am the head of this facility and I intend to make sure your _'kids'_ will remember their place again, starting with some of those who are in this room right now. That's why I wanted this unit here."

"Have you been intriguing behind my back again, Lizzy?" Lydecker tried not to show how uneasy her confident behavior made him. "The committee would never allow such a thing without hearing my side of the story, too."

"Oh, but they have." Renfro nodded towards one of the PsyOps guards who handed her some papers. "These documents reinstate me not only as Director of PsyOps but of the whole facility. You're done, Deck!"

"I don't think so!" Everybody in the room looked at Jondy in astonishment. "From my point of view I have a say in this matter, too."

"Shut up, soldier!" Renfro snapped. How could that brat even dare interrupting her?

"No, you shut up, _Director_!" Jondy retorted not looking intimated at all. Before anybody in the room could recover from the surprise and shock over her actions she turned towards Lydecker. "Sir, on the hard drive 301 brought back from her last mission I have found evidence that Director Renfro is involved with the men that attacked our teams in Joliet, Edinburgh and Saint-Vincent."

Everybody in the room looked at her in complete shock now, even Lydecker and Renfro but the blond woman recovered very fast, much too fast to Wolf's liking who felt the tension in the room rise. Coleman, O'Neill and Hayden had barely moved but he could see how their hands had crept just a tiny bit closer to their sidearms. The PsyOps guards were on high alert as well but he knew they would stick to Renfro if the situation escalated.

"Where did you get that intel from, soldier?" Renfro asked Jondy, the predatory smile back on her face.

"The external hard drive 301 and 451 brought back from Italy."

"Apart from the fact that this has been an illegal operation" Renfro continued not looking away from the brown haired transgenic one second, "would those files be of any value for a military court?"

Jondy pressed her lips together but didn't answer.

"Answer the question, 210!" Lydecker ordered her and she flinched slightly.

"No, the origin codes of the data have been permanently deleted when the network destroyed itself."

"So, no value at all" Renfro summarized. Of course those data was of no use. The network had been shut down by her superior right when the two transgenics had tried to hack it.

"Not so fast, Lizzy" Lydecker held her back. "I will contact the committee and inform them about this. I'm sure they'll be very interested."

"You won't. You don't have any authority here anymore" Renfro snarled and every false kindness had vanished from her face and voice.

"We'll see about that!"

"Boyd, Parraut" she ordered two of her Manticore guards sharply, "Arrest the Colonel and escort him to his quarters! The rest of you will bring X5-210 and 452 and X7-452 to PsyOps!"

Unfortunately she forgot about the three Manticore black ops soldiers that were in the room: Coleman and O'Neill had served under the Colonel in the Delta force in Mogadishu already and they knew the older man was loyal. Hayden didn't know Lydecker as well but well enough to know he would never become a traitor. Before Renfro's men were able to do anything the three Manticore men drew their sidearms and aimed at them, making them stop dead in their tracks immediately.

That was when all hell broke loose. The PsyOps guards upon being threatened by the three Manticore black ops soldiers reached for their own weapons and aimed at their sudden adversaries and the Colonel. None of them came even close to take a shot at the four men before every X5 in the room launched themselves at them, kicking the guns out of their hands, throwing them against walls, chairs and tables and knocking them out cold. There were a few shots but it looked like all of them missed.

A few seconds was all it took the twelve transgenics to disable the nine men.

"Son of a bitch!" Artemis cursed and kicked an unconscious PsyOps guard in the ribs while clutching the grazing shot on her right arm.

The five still conscious ordinary humans in the room – Lydecker, Renfro, Coleman, O'Neill and Hayden – looked at the transgenic soldiers in disbelief. They all knew how dangerous they could be but actually seeing how they took out nine highly trained soldiers in a matter of seconds without casualties – Artemis was the only one who had been slightly injured – was something completely else.

"What are you doing?" Renfro exclaimed.

"Shut up or you'll regret it!" Wolf warned her in a dangerous voice after he'd made sure none of his team had been critically wounded and then turned towards Lydecker. "What are we going to do, sir?"

"What do you suggest?" Lydecker had to admit this was a little bit too much. He had expected Renfro to try and find out what he'd been doing in Italy, perhaps even bring him before the committee but that she would show up here with some kind of arrest warrant for him and then tried to get his kids back in PsyOps was something he hadn't seen coming at all.

Wolf on the other hand was a little bit surprised that the Colonel asked for his opinion. Nevertheless his years of training and tactic planning came into good use this time.

"Our superior command has been compromised" he said without hesitation looking at Renfro in disgust. "but we cannot prove it at the moment. We have to retreat and regroup, sir."

Lydecker looked from him to Renfro and nodded; the boy was right, he had been thinking in that direction, too.

"I promise you we'll see each other again. I would really like to kill you, Elizabeth, but that would make our situation only worse, so this will have to do it for now."

Before the blond woman understood what he meant he suddenly lashed out and rendered her unconscious with a brutal punch. There was a crack when her jaw broke and she stumbled back and fell to the floor just like the rest of her team. Lydecker shook his hand and suddenly got aware of how everyone in the room including Coleman, O'Neill and Hayden looked at him.

"What?" he asked.

The transgenics just shrugged and went back to their task; tie up the nine men and now Renfro, too. Hayden suddenly grinned and O'Neill gave his superior a sly grin, too.

"Nice punch, sir!"

"It was long overdue!" the Colonel growled and had to admit to himself that he felt much better now. Perhaps he really should have done this earlier.

Suddenly the door opened and four X5 poured into the room. Unit two was back on their feet at once but they relaxed quickly when they got aware of who it was.

"Colonel, what happened here?" one of them asked. It was X5-613, the CO of unit five.

"Director Renfro came here to arrest me" Lydecker answered the question. He had a plan again, a purpose and this made him much calmer and more focused. "She's a traitor but unfortunately the evidence 210 found has been corrupted. But I believe it to be true."

At this Jondy looked up and glanced at him gratefully.

"What are you going to do, sir?" 613 wanted to know and Lydecker was relieved the young man believed him. If he'd try and hold him back because he was – officially – a traitor now himself this whole mess would end in a bloodbath.

"We're gonna leave this base and regroup, then we're gonna try and find out who is behind this."

"I'm gonna get the rest of my team, sir!"

"You'll not come with us, soldier!" Lydecker held him back.

"Sir?"

"Unit two will be the only one who will leave this base." He didn't say 'desert' for as he could see it they would do the only right thing. "The committee will move heaven and earth to capture us but even they still have their limits. If more of you or even every X5 leaves they will not hesitate and send every man they have after us. I need you to stay here, soldier, it's worse enough we have to leave already."

613 hesitated for a few seconds but finally nodded. Lydecker turned away to talk to Coleman, O'Neill and Hayden and Wolf approached the other CO.

"I'm really sorry, 613" he tried to apologize, "but it's the only way. I can't allow that woman – a traitor – to take my subordinates back to PsyOps."

"I understand, 451" the other young man assured him. "Just make sure you get back here as soon as possible. I'm not looking forward to play 'good little soldier' for that bitch!"

"A soon as we can, I promise" Wolf replied. "Are you the only ones who heard the shots?"

"I think so. The other units are out in the field and the rest of her PsyOps guards are waiting outside; we were just nearby by accident."

"That's good. Okay, listen, I know you want to help but I need you to go now. None of them has seen you until now and I think it would be better if it stays that way."

"Yeah, you're right." 613 sighed and looked around. Wolf could understand the other man's stress; after Renfro woke up this place would be just like it had been after the '09 escape. He just hoped the committee would at least watch her PsyOps activities a little bit closer than in the past. The other CO straightened up and signaled his team members to leave. Just before he left the room himself he turned around one last time. "Take good care of Jace and come back as soon as you can. Oh, by the way, it's not only 613, Wolf. My name is Dylan."

Wolf looked at him with an almost shocked expression and Dylan laughed.

"What? Did you really think your unit was the only one? When we heard about it everybody wanted a name. Looks like we've just been a little bit more successful at hiding it."

"Don't let her hear that, soldier; she would use it against you far more severely than I ever have" Lydecker suddenly said when he approached them. Both transgenics tensed but the old officer just shook his head. "I'm not the head of this facility anymore, remember? I didn't hear anything."

Both transgenics grinned and Dylan suddenly snapped at attention and saluted.

"Colonel Lydecker, it has been an honor to serve under your command, sir!" he spoke in a formal tone. "I hope you'll return soon."

"We will, soldier, we will. Now go back to your unit! Good luck!"

"To you too, sir!" With one last nod towards Wolf the other transgenic left and closed the door.

"We're ready!" Kyla announced. They had tied up every PsyOps guard in the room and especially Renfro's bonds seemed to be much tighter than necessary but nobody cared. They had taken the weapons, ammo and radio equipment from the unconscious soldiers and were ready to move. Wolf himself took two guns Kyla gave him and held one out to the Colonel. The older man took it and checked the clip and the chamber in one fluent move. Maybe he had become a little bit old, but he sure as hell was still able to use a goddamned gun! Coleman, O'Neill and Hayden appeared at his side. He had discussed this with the three soldiers and they had agreed that they had to leave the base together with him and the transgenics after they had threatened Renfro and her men; she would consider them as traitors, too.

"What about her?" Blade suddenly wanted to know and looked at Max's X7 clone. The young girl just stood there looking from one to another. She hadn't taken part in the fight as no order had been given and she was confused and unsure what to do next. From her point of view the Colonel still was her commanding officer but that blond woman had claimed that he was a traitor. But there was no proof. And why did they want to put her into PsyOps? She hadn't done anything wrong, she was one of the best in her unit! X7-452 felt helpless, not understanding the connection to her older sister Max yet.

"What's your designation, soldier?" Max took a few steps towards her younger self. She knew her younger clone's designation but it looked like the kid needed to focus on something familiar. It was weird to look at this girl who looked just like her, only ten years younger.

"X7-452, ma'am!" Even the voice who barked the answer sounded the same.

"Alright, X7-452" Max nodded. "From now on we are your new unit. That's X5-451, your new CO. We have to leave this base because our superior command has been compromised, do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am!" The girl suddenly appeared much more confident. She had a purpose again and a chain of command. That was what she needed.

"Let's move!" Lydecker growled impatiently. He didn't like the fact they would take an X7 with them; never before they had tried to take one of them away from their unit and he didn't know how she would react when she lost contact to the hive mind of her siblings. But he also knew they couldn't leave her behind, Renfro would tear her mind apart just because she was Max's clone.

"Yes, sir!" Wolf agreed with a grim look. "Blade, Havoc, you take point! I'll be right behind you. Bear and Alec, you take the rear. The rest of you form up between us! Colonel, I want you and your men in the center and you too, X7!"

The transgenics moved quickly and while Lydecker was not really comfortable with taking orders from Wolf he had to admit that the young X5 was right and he signaled his men to do what they were told. The X7 took position right before the Colonel and it took him some seconds to understand she was doing this out of instinct, getting to the position where she would most likely be able to defend and protect her superior. He got a weird feeling of pride, guilt and sorrow when he came to that conclusion but he wasn't able to think about it as Wolf gave the signal to move out.

They moved quickly, only stopping for seconds or to evade other X5s or Manticore staff. Once outside they had to evade the rest of Renfro's TAC teams but with the radios from the first team it was quite easy. They got to the car pool and hijacked three Humvees, quickly making their way towards the airfield.

The few technicians and guards who where there didn't ask any questions when they saw the head of the facility arrive but some of them looked at the weird mixture of X5s, X7 and Manticore black ops with curiosity. Nevertheless nobody asked questions when Lydecker demanded two Black Hawk transport helicopters.

Only minutes later two of the old but still very useful and robust Black Hawks took off towards the north but not before Havoc and Nova had disabled the transponders. Onboard were a former Colonel and three of his loyal soldiers, one X7 and twelve X5 transgenics who looked back at what had been the only home they ever had. Jondy, Max and Brin knew the feeling already and they didn't try to talk to the others whose faces were emotionless masks and whose eyes held a terrible anger and the dangerous promise of return. They would need some time to adjust to the thought that they were deserters now themselves.

Just when the last sight of the Manticore headquarters had vanished in the distance they suddenly heard a slight sob and they all looked at the X7. She was trembling.

"What is it, soldier?" Kyla wanted to know.

"I can't hear my unit anymore!" Her voice was but a whisper and she tried to keep up her composure in the presence of all these X5s who – in her eyes – were considered as superior officers but they could all hear her fear.

None of the X5 said anything as they didn't know how to help the little girl who was truly without her unit and feeling alone for the first time in her life.

"Come here" Corporal Hayden suddenly ordered the small X7. She obeyed at once and sat down beside him. The young medic pulled an arm around her small shoulders and talked to her in a soothing voice but so low not even the transgenics were able to understand his words, but whatever he was telling the young girl it worked. After a few minutes she calmed down and eventually even fell asleep with her head against the young man's shoulder.

The X5 looked at him appreciative and a little bit surprised and even Lydecker couldn't hold back a small smile when he turned around in his copilot's seat and saw that small girl sleeping peacefully snuggled up against the Manticore black ops soldier.

"_Sir, where are we going?"_ Major Coleman's voice suddenly came over intercom. He was the copilot of the second Black Hawk.

"North" Lydecker answered. "We have to get away as far and as fast as possible. And when thinking about it I think we should try to avoid radar detection."

He looked at Wolf who was piloting the first helicopter. "We need to fly low."

"No problem, sir" the transgenic answered with a sly grin and opened a comm channel to Artemis who was acting as the pilot of the other Black Hawk. "You heard that, Artemis? Think you can keep up?"

"_Try and find out!"_

"Roger that. Black Hawk one declining."

After a few seconds the two helicopters were heading towards north at their maximum speed and low enough that no radar would detect them, barely avoiding the three tops of Wyoming's forests. Although he looked almost relaxed while he was controlling the Black Hawk and keeping track of the communication with Artemis Wolf was frantically trying to figure out what to do next.

* * *

**Many chapters ago somebody asked if Max will get Wolf and Kyla to defect. Well, somehow she's managed to do so, but one could argue she still is Manticore as she is loyal to Lydecker's idea of Manticore...oh, dammit, I'm talking too much.**

**I hope you like it (I certainly liked writing the part when Deck breaks her jaw) and yeah, we're getting really close to the end now. You'll probably get to see some characters in the next chapter who haven't be seen during the last ones.**

**Give me reviews, I give you updates. Kind of blackmailing, I know, don't sue me, please, I'm broke *gg***


	30. Chapter 30

Finally! Back again!

For those of you who thought I was dead, well, I'm not. For those who thought I forgot about this story, I didn't either!

Okay, I know it took me some time...well, who am I kidding? It took a an eternity to update and I really, really am sorry. Life has been a little bit rough lately.

Two of my recruits nearly died during a training mission. They're gonna be okay but I had the MP breathing down my neck during the past two weeks including the weekends so I really couldn't find the time to update, I'm terribly sorry, but I hope you can understand.

Well, this is gonna be the last chapter of this story. I would like to thank you, all of you, who have read and reviewed my story. You're absolutely amazing! Thank you very, very much!

There will be a sequel. **Hunting an Angel: The Fallen Ones**

I hope to see some of you there again. I will PM my regular reviewers and those who review this last chapter as soon as the first chapter of the sequel is up.

**nattylovesu:** Thanks for sticking with me. This is, however, gonna be the last chapter of this story. Sequel is already in progress, I hope you'll be there, too.

**Divine Fighter:** I thought about Brin having her revenge and perhaps she will get it, but not yet. Glad you liked the last chapter, hope your still around!

**452max:** Thanks to you too, glad you liked it. Sorry again it took me so long!

**Alan Grey:** Why thinking I would be with Lydecker? Well, I believe because it would most probably be true. Not the totally evil Lydecker from the beginning, though, but rather the one we met a little bit later, the understanding one. I once discussed the whole Manticore thing with some fellow officers and we all had to agree that while from a ethical point of view it is totally disgusting to train soldiers from their childhood like they do it, it would be magnificient from a strictly military point of view. Not that I would ever agree with somebody really doing it, don't get me wrong. I left a short possibility in this chapter why the committee betrayed Lydecker so easily, I understand your doubts but hey, somehow I had to get them out ;) Ah, you just know me too well. Yes, of course they will ally with the Deltas, you'll see more in this chapter, but for details about the Deltas you will have to wait a little longer as well as why Renfro is so interested in Max and X7-452. Yes, I know you don't like M/A and I intend to keep it low for now, can't say how it's gonna be in future though, but for now you don't have to worry ;) Thank you very much, Alan!

**JOUNOUCHI sama:** Hm, not so sure about the Highlander part but Kate Todd is an interesting idea. Yep, perhaps I will bring this one up, can't promise already, though.

**********************

char list:

**X5-154 aka Nova** The blond transgenic is the medic of unit two. She's one of the smallest X5 but nevertheless can take care of herself just fine. Other than that she's one of the X5 with the most experience in missions outside Manticore. After running away from Manticore she has finally gotten together with Havoc. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-194 aka Blade** Member of unit two. The Asian woman is one of the few that could actually beat her CO or her 2IC in a hand-to-hand combat. She is almost obsessed with any sort of blades and usually tries not to use firearms. Has no shark but snake DNA.

**X5-210 aka Jondy** As children Max and Jondy had been in unit one and escaped together in '09. Jondy got caught by Lydecker months before Max and has joined unit two. She is loyal to Manticore and her unit but this doesn't mean she likes everybody around the base. Eventually she even refers to Lydecker that he 'can be an asshole sometimes'. Nevertheless she chose to stay out of her free will and is happy Max did so as well as she once said she couldn't bear it to lose her little sister again.

**X5-258 aka Nitro** Member of unit two. The young blond man adores every sort of vehicle. He's one of the more unsettled X5. KIA after the mission in Joliet.

**X5-301 aka Kyla** 2IC of unit two. Usually paired with Wolf during their missions. The two of them have the most experience throughout the X-series when it comes to combat missions and search and destroy and both of them are very well trained in close quarter combat and hand-to-hand fights. Over the years she has developed a strong affection towards Wolf but being soldiers first and inexperienced with this kind of emotions none of them had the courage to make the next step until recently. They are a couple now but they still have to deal with a lot of unknown and troubling emotions, most of all the fear to lose the other.

**X5-367 aka Havoc** Member of unit two. The black haired and tanned transgenic is the unit's expert when it comes to explosives. He is almost as calm as 439 and is known for his subtle sense of humor. After running away from Manticore he has finally gotten together with Nova. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-439 aka Artemis** Member of unit two. She's the sniper of her unit. Her rather calm and controlled self helps the others from getting out of hand too much. Like Wolf and Kyla she keeps her brown hair very short as she thinks it would hinder her otherwise.

**X5-451 aka Wolf** CO of unit two and Max's genetic brother. Just like his partner Kyla he had been developed for combat operations. His intense grey eyes and very short black hair clearly let him look like the soldier he is and his knowledge about almost any sort of combat makes him a deadly enemy. Over the years he has developed a strong affection towards Kyla but being soldiers first and inexperienced with this kind of emotions none of them had the courage to make the next step until recently. They are a couple now but they still have to deal with a lot of unknown and troubling emotions, most of all the fear to lose the other.

**X5-494 aka Alec** Member of unit two and third in the chain of command. He has become sort the unit's unofficial leader as Wolf and Kyla often are on outside missions. He can be sort of a smart ass sometimes but he usually knows when to stop. Recently he has started to have strange feelings for Max but isn't sure what to do about it yet. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-526 aka Bear** Member of unit two. He's the biggest and strongest X5 in the unit and prefers heavy weapons. Nevertheless he's very gentle and almost never gets angry. Has no shark DNA.

**X5-734 aka Brin** After her return to Manticore she underwent a very brutal reindoctrination which left her brainwashed and only partly able to make independent decisions. She has been under Director Renfro's command until Renfro had to leave the Wyoming facility. After having been a specialist for one-man missions for some time Brin got assigned to unit two after the mission in Montpellier. It seems like she got back most of her memories by now, most of all about her brother Zane.

**X5-798 aka Jace** She was the only one staying behind during the '09 escape out of her free will. She has been a member of unit five but got assigned to unit two after the mission in Montpellier.

**X7-452 aka Kara** The nine year old girl is the X7 clone of Max. Forced to leave Manticore with unit two she was terrified at first but quickly accustomed to it. Despite being a child and acting quite innocently most of the time she more than capable to defend herself.

**Corporal Daniel Hayden** He was a corpsman in the Manticore black ops corps. When he threatened Director Renfro in order to protect Lydecker he was forced to leave Manticore and flee with unit two.

**Sergeant Christian O'Neill** He was a TAC team leader in the Manticore black ops corps. When he threatened Director Renfro in order to protect Lydecker he was forced to leave Manticore and flee with unit two. He and the Colonel have known each other for a long time as they had served in the Delta Force during the Mogadishu incident in 1990 already.

* * *

"_This is a streaming freedom video bulletin. The cable hack will last exactly sixty seconds. It cannot be traced, it cannot be stopped and it is the only free voice left in the city. The rich Tricia Helden is known to be a generous supporter of various social projects. What almost nobody knows it that this only serves her to cover up her illegal arms dealing and drug trafficking. But no more. Eyes Only has collected enough evidence against her to put an end to her criminal actions."_

Logan pressed the stop button after he had once again reviewed what would be his next Eyes Only broadcast. It was good; Helden was a very wealthy and well known woman of the Seattle high society but what he had collected against her during the last five weeks would be enough to put her into jail for several years. Yet he wasn't really satisfied with the broadcast. Somehow it was still too gentle. Yes, he definitely needed to sound a little bit more aggressive. Not much, he was still Eyes Only after all and Eyes Only didn't get angry, but a little bit more wouldn't be bad.

He adjusted the webcam and was about to record the broadcast a second time when there was a knock on the door.

"I'm on it" Bling called out and Logan could hear his bodyguard and friend approach the door. He smiled and thought about the last months. He didn't need Bling for his physique anymore; the exoskeleton was taking care of that already. But it was a nice feeling to have the strong but kind man at your side, especially since Max had been gone. Max! That thought brought a somber expression to his face. It had been hard to accept that she wanted to stay at Manticore, as it seemed out of her free will. Hell, calling it hard was probably the understatement of the century! Still he had somehow managed to accept her choice but that didn't mean he had to like it! He tried to monitor Manticore's operations as good as he could and until now they seemed to be clean – well, what you would call clean in Manticore's world – but the day he'd find out they were about to get out of hand he would be back. Somehow he would find Zack and the other '09 escapees and together with the Eyes Only Informant Network they would bring that place down for good. But not yet.

Just when he forced his conscious mind to return to his task – recording the broadcast again – he heard Bling open the door and even over the distance he could hear his friend gasp and there were noises of a short struggle.

Logan was on his feet in a second and ran towards the door, gun in his hand. When he rounded the corner he got aware of a sight that let his blood freeze: Max's brother – Wolf – had an unconscious Bling pinned down to the floor. Apparently his friend had tried to draw his own weapon upon seeing who was standing in Logan's door but even if very well trained no ordinary human being would ever be faster than an X5. Nevertheless the transgenic didn't seem to want to hurt the unmoving Bling, he just held him down and shot a glance towards the three people who were with him. One was Kyla, the other transgenic who had been in his apartment before. Upon seeing Logan with a weapon she moved faster than the cyber-journalist would have thought it was possible and disarmed him and pushed him back, but did not follow him further. For a few seconds he just stared at his unexpected visitors in shock and none of them spoke a word.

"I told you this wasn't a good idea!" Lydecker – Colonel Donald Lydecker, head of the Wyoming Manticore facility – who hadn't moved during the whole time said to the third person and shook his head.

Despite his surprise and shock and the adrenaline rushing through his body Logan could hear the slight undertone of amusement in the older man's voice but he didn't care. He just stared at the woman Lydecker had talked to, unable to move or to speak. She shot her superior an annoyed glance but turned towards the cyber-journalist again.

"Calm down Logan!" she said reassuringly and his heart jumped upon hearing her voice again after so long. "We are not here to hurt you!"

"Max?" His voice sounded surprised and confused.

"Yes, it's me" Max replied and smiled taking a step towards him and past Kyla who still had his gun in her hands but didn't aim at him. "Easy Logan, we're here to talk."

He looked just like he remembered her, a little bit worried perhaps, but still beautiful as ever. Suddenly he took a step forward and embraced her in a tight hug. She tensed up at first but returned his gesture after a second. They stood there like that for about half a minute until Wolf suddenly spoke up.

"Does that mean I can let Mister Wardrobe stand up?" His voice was full of mocking sarcasm and he smirked at the two of them.

Max let go of Logan and turned around, shooting her brother an angry glare which he returned with a mean grin. Before she could say anything Lydecker stepped in, not wanting to hear another bickering between the two of them; he'd had enough of that during the past weeks.

"I think it is safe to say Mister Cale will not attack us for the moment" he said and looked at Logan. "Am I right?"

"It's not like I have a choice" Logan replied coldly. He had noticed how Max had taken a step back and stood between him and the older Colonel again.

"Not really, no."

"So, I take it the orders concerning me have changed?" It felt strange how easily those words left his lips.

"Perhaps" Lydecker shrugged. "But I don't know anything about it."

"How's that?" That was a surprise.

"It's a long story and I'd rather not tell it in your hallway."

"Whatever" Logan sighed angrily but stepped back and allowed his 'guests' to enter the living room. He really was confused now. Not only was there a transgenic commando in his apartment – again – but there was also Colonel Donald Lydecker himself who had made it very clear some time ago he'd like to see him dead. But nevertheless none of them made a move to attack him and he had a strange feeling none of them would anytime soon. Perhaps the world was really going crazy.

Wolf let go of Bling who'd just regained his senses but kept the bodyguard's gun. Maybe Max was right and Logan Cale could really help them but he wasn't taking any risks. After all he had been shot the last time he'd been in this apartment.

Bling stood up and looked from Wolf to Kyla.

"Why am I always the one who gets hit or thrown against something?" he muttered.

"Perhaps you deserve it?" Kyla quipped with an innocent look on her face before she followed the Colonel and Max. Bling shot her a surprised look and glanced cautiously at Wolf who just grinned and nodded towards the living room. Shortly afterwards Lydecker and Logan were sitting on the couch looking intensely at each other while Bling was standing behind Logan and Max sat at her commanding officer's side. Wolf and Kyla looked out of the windows and from time to time Wolf would radio for the rest of the team who were outside making sure nobody would sneak up on them.

"Well, if you're not here to kill me" Logan finally began looking the old officer straight in the eye. This was one of the weirdest situations he'd ever been in. "then why are you?"

"As I said, it's a long story. And I'm sure you'd rather hear it from somebody you trust" Lydecker replied calmly and looked at Max who just nodded.

"After you were in Wyoming with Zack and the others…" she began and told Logan and Bling everything that had happened since their last encounter. The new enemy, the missions in France and Italy, Renfro's betrayal and their escape. After she'd ended Logan looked at her incredulously.

"You mean" he slowly began, "you're running away from Manticore?"

The happy undertone in his voice was very well audible but Max smiled gently and shook her head.

"Not from Manticore. Renfro. I don't know why but she's after me and when we attacked her and her men we all became traitors."

"Why are you here then?"

"To warn you and because we need your help, Mister Cale" Lydecker stepped in again.

"And why should I help you?" Logan looked at the older man for the first time since Max had started talking and the hostility in his voice was more than evident.

"Because we must leave the country and Max said you were good at creating fake IDs and such things" Lydecker replied calmly. "I'm not asking you to trust us, but we are the only ones who know about Renfro's betrayal. I don't know why the committee has allowed her to take over Manticore so quickly and without hearing my side of the story first; perhaps it has been corrupted, too. But with Renfro being in command of Manticore now she has become dangerously powerful. I know you probably despise me but you also know that all I ever did I did it for this country. Do you really think Renfro is going to do so as well? We need to bring her down and we will but first we have to get out of the US to gain some time to regroup. And you must go into hiding, too. I don't know exactly what she's planning but I can't imagine she will tolerate you like I did."

"I thought I was not to be harmed."

"Lizzy doesn't take her orders too serious, the past two months have proved that and there is always a possibility to make it look like an accident" Lydecker reminded him.

"I could go public" Logan offered. "With all the evidence I have against Manticore and your knowledge we could bring her down easily."

"Not gonna happen, son" Lydecker's voice was suddenly sharp again. "If we inform the public about this now we'd do exactly what she wants. She doesn't care about the transgenics, never has and with every man and woman knowing about them we would do exactly what those cyborg-soldiers probably want. Every Manticore soldier, every man and woman and child with a barcode on the neck would be hunted down by our own population and killed in a wave of public hysteria."

"People are not that stupid" Bling interjected. "I've known about Max for a long time and I didn't do anything to harm her."

"One man is smart" Lydecker reminded him sternly. "Many people are just a bunch of nervous and hysterical gregarious animals. Think about it, you know I'm right. The majority of the population would not understand what the X-series are and what they've done for this country and people are afraid of things they don't understand. And you can be sure Renfro knows that, too. She would be all too happy if Eyes Only would broadcast everything about transgenic soldiers he has all over America. No, we can't go public, not before we have neutralized Renfro and those cyborg soldiers."

"And why hasn't she done it herself already?" Logan wanted to know. "Leaking some information, for example?"

"She's powerful, but not almighty. Even if the committee has been corrupted I doubt nobody would notice it if she'd do such a thing and as things are now she has other possibilities to take us out; she'll try to get us in the conventional way."

"Which means hunt you down and blow your head off" Logan assumed with a mean smirk towards the older officer. "Not a nice feeling, being on the run yourself?"

"Not at all" Lydecker admitted and shifted uncomfortably. "Listen, I know you must think I'm just getting my well deserved punishment but this is bigger than any of us. Whoever is behind this is mighty enough to go against one of the most powerful military units this country has and until now they're on the winning side. They have planned this for a long time and if nobody has suspected anything until now they must have people in the right places in DC, too. We don't know yet what it is they want but I think it's safe to say that whatever it is none of us wants it to happen."

"How bad is it?" Bling had been quiet most of the time and had listened carefully. He knew what Lydecker had done in the past and it was unforgivable in his eyes but his military past had kicked in by now. This man knew what he was talking about; he was an experienced operator and tactician and if somebody like Lydecker was worried he knew he and Logan should be, too. The Colonel looked at the tall man a little bit surprised at the sudden concern and interest in his voice. "What are their abilities?"

"Bad. One of their TAC teams was able to drive back an X5 commando almost without problems. They have been after us during the last two months and they are good. They know our tactics, our reactions. And it's not only them. TAC teams from almost every intelligence service and the military are looking for us." Lydecker drew a deep breath and looked Logan straight in the eye. "To be honest: It is only a question of time until they find us. It took us two months – two months – to get from Wyoming up here. They are close and they know it."

"And where would you go?" Logan asked with reluctance in his voice. He could see how Max's face lit up at this. "Supposed I'll help you."

"Europe" Wolf answered without turning away from the window. "We have allies there."

"And after you have defeated Renfro and her allies; what are you going to do? Return to Gilette like nothing has happened? I'm sure you can understand that this is not how I would like it to be!"

"I think you don't understand what this is about" Lydecker sounded a little bit more agitated now. "This isn't some drug lord or arms dealer. This is international and until now we are the only ones who know about it. If we die – and you can be sure if Renfro catches us we will die – any sort of hope will be destroyed. I know you don't want to help me, but at least help my kids! Because whatever you think of me this has nothing to do with them! What we do afterwards we can discuss when our enemies are dead or locked away in a cell. After what has happened and what will happen I doubt Manticore can remain as secret as it was until now, if this reassures you."

None of the men noticed the strange look in the transgenics' eyes when Lydecker called them his kids.

"I really don't know what to say, Colonel" Logan sighed after a long silence and shook his head. "I mean: Helping you is like I would help Manticore. It's…crazy."

"I understand that, son" Lydecker replied his voice calm and controlled again. "But the Manticore you fought is already dead. Nothing's gonna be the same anymore."

Logan remained silent for about a minute. It was crazy. He should help Colonel Donald Lydecker escape, the man who had put Max through hell for most of her life. He would help the head of Manticore, the institution that had taken Max away and turned her into a soldier again. But Lydecker had some points. He didn't know much about Elizabeth Renfro – until know he had only read some minor reports about her while trying to find out more about Manticore – but he was sure this woman was dangerous. And with what Max had told him it was clear there was something big going on. He turned around and looked at Bling, silently asking for his friend's opinion. The tall man returned his glance for a few seconds and finally nodded barely visible. Logan then looked at Max and in her eyes he could see hope, fear and an almost desperate plea. And he could also see trust. Trust in the man beside her, the officer she had once called her personal antichrist. And trust in him, Logan Cale, the notorious crime-fighting Eyes Only. She had agreed with the Colonel's plan already and was convinced it was the right thing to do. And when had Max ever done something wrong? Logan sighed heavily and shook his head like in defeat. His voice was hoarse and low but full of determination when he answered.

"What do you need?"

* * *

When they returned to their current hideout – an old and semi-derelict block in the one of the really bad parts of Seattle – later that day Max was unusually quiet. Her siblings had already noticed but none of them said anything as they felt their sister needed time to think. It had been a strange day for Max, to say the least. Seeing Logan again had brought a wave of happiness to her heart. She had looked forward to that meeting; it was like she was allowed to live in her past life for a few hours. But then again that's what it was: Past. She knew things would never be the same between Logan and her again. He had accepted that she was a soldier now, a young woman whose first concern was about her unit and her mission. Accepted, yes, but she had noticed that he looked at her differently now. Not disgusted or afraid, no, but it was like he had finally understood how dangerous she could be. He still wanted to be a friend and Max was glad for that but the days when he had looked at her as if she was just an ordinary girl despite the fact he knew she was an X5 were definitely over.

They approached the apartment where they'd chosen to stay in while in Seattle. The location of the hideout was perfect; no police came here ever and the few other inhabitants were smart enough not to mess with a group of armed people or to sell them out to the police which wouldn't get them anything. Nevertheless they all knew they couldn't stay here for long as Renfro was well aware in what sort of environment they would hide and sooner or later her teams would just stumble across them.

But for the moment they were safe and they tried to make out the best of their situation. Bear, Blade and Artemis had found some old furniture and they'd even managed to install some sort of a kitchen in one room. It wasn't much but it was better than living on the streets. Max couldn't help but smile quietly when she looked at the scenery taking place in the small living room: Hayden and O'Neill were playing poker with Jondy and Brin and by the looks on the two men's faces they were losing. Again. Alec wasn't there as he was currently on the rooftop as their lookout.

She could hear Blade and Jace moving around in the kitchen and Artemis and Bear were doing some reading on the old couch. All of them looked up when the small group entered the apartment with relieved but questioning looks on their faces but Lydecker just shook his head. There would be time to talk later.

While Kyla made herself comfortable on the couch Wolf left the room again to make the call that would decide their further course of action and Lydecker joined the poker table with a sly grin towards the two former Manticore black ops. Suddenly a small figure came storming out of the kitchen.

"Max!" The small girl was on her in a second and hugged her tightly, a gesture the X5 happily returned.

"Hey, Kara!" she smiled. "How are you?"

"Bored." Max chuckled and looked at her younger self.

"Sorry about that, but perhaps I can spar with you later, how's that?" Kara nodded viciously; she was always eager to train with her older sister. "Okay, but first we have to eat something. Go help Blade I'm starving."

The girl grinned and was gone in a second. After they had left Manticore X7-452 had calmed down after a while when she'd grown accustomed to the fact that she wasn't connected to the hive consciousness of her unit anymore. Artemis had come up with the question how they were gonna name the young girl. Max almost frowned when she remembered how Alec had come up with 'Mini-Max' immediately. In the end Blade had suggested Kara and the small X7 had suddenly smiled and nodded; apparently she'd liked that name from the start. It had been strange at first, looking at your nine year old self, but after a while she and her smaller twin had grown closer and Max really liked the small girl by now.

At first she had barely talked and looked always for the X5s or the Colonel for orders but after some time she'd come accustomed to the fact that she was no longer at Manticore and started to act more like an ordinary girl of nine years. This didn't mean she had forgotten she was a soldier. When an X5 or one of the three former Manticore operatives asked her something or gave her an order she would grow absolutely serious in the blink of an eye and Max hadn't forgotten how this small girl had attacked two soldiers of a TAC team that had found them about three weeks ago without hesitation. She had broken one soldier's arm and the other one was probably still in coma. She was an X7, nothing would ever change that and Max knew that in a few years this little girl would probably even beat Wolf, Kyla and Blade when it came to hand-to-hand combat. Nevertheless Kara was able to cheer them up almost constantly with her childlike curiousness and innocence. One time she had even made the Colonel laugh. It had stunned the other transgenics and even O'Neill and Hayden had looked puzzled but Lydecker hadn't noticed.

'He really has changed' Max thought and tried to remember the grim and pitiless man from her childhood but found out that she could hardly imagine that man anymore when she tried to give him Lydecker's face.

A strange moan brought her back to reality and every person in the room looked towards the closed door that led to the bed room.

"They are driving me crazy!" Bear growled.

"It's not like there is a choice, you know" Max replied and sat down onto the couch as well.

"I know that" the big X5 answered grudgingly "but I begin to wonder if they're not doing it intentionally by now. It's been almost three days."

"They're not doing it intentionally" Kyla hissed and hit him in the side. "Pervert!"

"What? You've ever heard of a heat that went on for so long?"

"You have no idea, big one!" Artemis said without looking up from the newspaper she was reading.

Back at Manticore they never had to deal with their seizures or heat as the doctors made sure they always got enough tryptophan and their heat suppressor shots but not anymore. The seizures they could control; it was no problem for a bunch of genetically enhanced supersoldiers on the run to steal enough tryptophan for all of them but the heat suppressor was something they wouldn't get out here. Max thought back to when this whole deal had started two days ago.

* * *

"_And I tell you I should have gone with them!" Artemis still argued while they were walking towards their apartment._

"_Oh come on now, will you finally stop it?" Wolf snapped. "If the Colonel thinks he's safe enough with O'Neill and Jondy that's fine by me."_

_Max, Kyla and Havoc remained silent but exchanged short and amused glances. All of them except for Nova and Hayden had been out today, even Kara who was with Blade trying to get some food but Artemis hadn't stopped worrying for Lydecker the whole day. According to her their CO should have stayed in the hideout and not risking his life out there._

"_It's not like they're walking around in enemy territory for the first time!" Wolf growled seemingly tired of this whole argument when he opened the door, "and I'm not their…"_

_He stopped dead in his tracks and Kyla almost bumped into him. The shorthaired transgenic held back a curse and looked past her partner then she gasped in shock. Inside the living room were Hayden and Nova. The blond transgenic had the young man pinned against the wall and tried to kiss him while he tried almost desperately to hold her back. Without thinking the transgenics rushed into the room and separated the two, Max and Wolf holding a struggling Nova while Kyla, Artemis and Havoc held Hayden back, Havoc shooting daggers at the young Corporal._

_Suddenly Nova calmed down and looked at Wolf with heightened interest and a smile came to her lips. Max noticed how her brother's breathing quickened and looked at him in worry seeing that he was trying to control himself but was failing quickly. Suddenly it dawned on her what was happening._

"_Let go of her, Wolf!" she ordered him and when he didn't react she pushed him back which earned her a threatening glance from her brother and a growl from Nova._

"_What the hell?" Kyla asked bewildered by their behaving._

"_She's in heat" Max called out. If a female X5 went into heat it would have no effect on an ordinary man – except for the fact that she would try to jump him at any second, of course – but male transgenics could smell the pheromones the female's body was producing and they reacted to it, quite vehemently to be exact. "Help me, dammit!"_

_Without thinking Kyla, Artemis and Havoc were at her side in a second, Kyla holding back Wolf while the other two tried to help Max to calm down Nova, which unfortunately put Havoc too close to the blond X5 and he suddenly started to behave just like Wolf had before. Max tried to push him back, too, when Nova suddenly attacked her, forcing her and Artemis to let go of her. Nevertheless Max wanted to try again but there was no way she could take on Nova and Havoc at the same time and both of them shot her threatening looks and the male transgenic move slightly like he was going to attack in order to protect the blond woman._

"_Max!" Kyla suddenly shouted. She had driven Wolf back away from Nova and stood now between him and her and it looked like her brother had calmed down a little bit but the effects of a female in heat in the room were still very well visible on his face as well as the fact that it took him all his strength to control himself. "Artemis, let them!"_

_For a second Max didn't understand what the older X5 was telling them but when she did she just nodded and held her arms up like in surrender and took a few steps back, putting some distance between herself and Havoc and Nova; Artemis did the same. Seeing this their siblings seemed to calm down a little bit and turned towards each other and kissed passionately._

"_Could you two at least go to the bedroom?" Kyla shouted agitated. Even in the trance of heat they seemed to hear her and in the blink of an eye they were gone and the door to said bedroom slammed shut behind them._

"_Well" Artemis said after a few seconds "that was…interesting."_

_Max had no problem with a Nova in heat sharing her bed with a man – as long as it was Havoc. Like she had suspected it the first time she'd seen the two of them they really had liked each other for a long time and three weeks after their escape from Manticore they'd officially become a couple. They'd slept with each other before and why should it be anything other now that her friend was in heat? Havoc was her boyfriend and like that Nova wouldn't regret it later._

_Kyla turned to Wolf again who shook his head like he felt dizzy but seemed much calmer now that the blond X5 wasn't in the same room anymore. "Are you okay?"_

"_Yeah, it's okay. It was just…" he trailed off and looked at Kyla with guilt in his eyes. "Kyla, I'm sorry, I didn't want to…"_

"_Shh! It's okay, it wasn't you" she reassured him and pulled him closer, kissing him gently. "Don't worry."_

_He looked relieved and Max could see the love for each other in both of their eyes and she smiled silently, feeling happy for the two of them. Then, as if on command, the three transgenics looked at Hayden who was still leaning against the wall._

"_Hey!" he exclaimed suddenly getting aware of the strange looks they gave him. "I didn't do anything! She was just…I…"_

"_You don't have to explain to us" Max chuckled. "Just make sure you have a good explanation when Havoc leaves that room the next time!"_

* * *

Max grinned when she thought about how the young Corporal kept looking at the bedroom door like Havoc would storm out of it any second. They had explained it to the others when they had returned and all of them had agreed that it was best if they let them alone until Nova's heat was over. How those of them who were not in a relationship would deal with it in the future was another question, however. A sudden moan that could be heard from the bedroom brought her back to the present once more and she looked at Jondy who just grinned at her. This was so friggin' weird.

"Okay, that's it!" Bear exclaimed. He got up and approached the bedroom. "I've had enough!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were…" Artemis began but it was too late. He had already opened the door and entered the room. There was an angry hiss from Nova, the sound of a small fight and then Bear was thrown out of the room headfirst and the door slammed shut again.

"Vicious little thing!" Bear mumbled and got up rubbing his head.

"Hey, I warned you!" Artemis said laughing almost hysterically. Everybody in the room grinned, too, and Lydecker just shook his head like a father would upon seeing his son doing something stupid.

"What did I miss?" Wolf wanted to know. He had just entered the room again after he'd called their allies.

"Oh, not much" Brin grinned. "Bear just wanted to separate our two love-birds."

"And you're still alive?" Wolf smirked at the big transgenic. "I'm impressed."

"Wolf?" Lydecker wanted to know and looked at the shorthaired team leader. It had been odd at first to call the X5s by their names, names he had tried to forbid. But after some time he got accustomed to it and by now he barely ever thought about them using their designations. He knew that as a matter of fact he, O'Neill and Hayden were slowing them down. The last two months had been rough and he felt more than ever that he was growing old but it had been even rougher for his children. It was always them on guard duty, making sure the ordinaries got enough sleep. It was them covering their retreat if necessary and putting their lives on the line without questions or hesitation. On one side that made him proud but on the other one it made him feel terribly sad and more than once he had promised himself to make sure to do everything he could to give them a better life when all of this was over. But it was not possible yet. "What did he say?"

Flashbacks of the conversation he'd just had appeared in Wolf's head. It had taken them some time to get the number but when finally hearing the voice on the other end he'd felt a weird sensation of relief.

"_You once said that we have friends out there now."_

"_You still have them. I've been expecting your call, my friend."_

"_We need to hide."_

"_I know. I just happen to have the right place to do so. Fortress Delta is ready. When are you arriving?"_

"He said yes" Wolf answered his superior's question, suddenly deadly serious again. Everybody in the room tensed; so they had to move again. "They expect us in four days."

"Good, that means we still have some time" Lydecker assumed. "We will leave this place in two days."

Everybody nodded and they rested quiet for about a minute. They all knew how dangerous it would be to leave the country; even with Cale's fake IDs the danger to be detected at the airport was high.

"I'm going to relieve Alec" Kyla suddenly said and got up. Max watched her leave and she was worried. She had noticed that Kyla had acted for differently for some time now and she knew her 2IC had dreaded this day and she believed to know why. She looked at her brother and signaled him silently to go after Kyla. He frowned and hesitated for some seconds before he nodded and left as well.

* * *

A few minutes later Kyla was on the rooftop and watched the only street that led to the building. Alec had left already and she was alone with her thoughts. They were about the task at hand: Getting the whole team out of the states without being detected and making it to Fortress Delta. But most of all they were about Wolf. She didn't know why but she knew something terrible would happen. Not to the team and not to her, but to him. She had never been very good when it came to talk about her fears, not even to him so she had kept them to herself; it was just a feeling after all and they couldn't just begin to react differently every time one of them thought something was gonna happen. But she knew something was gonna happen and being sure it would be devastating but not knowing what it was drove her crazy.

She inhaled deeply, trying to calm down.

"Lords of War and Justice, hear my prayer" she began, her voice low. She hadn't prayed to their childhood-gods for a very long time. Blade did it, sometimes Nova and Artemis, but she hadn't in years. But she didn't know who else she could ask for help anymore. "Give me the wisdom to choose the right path and the strength to follow it and to lead my team to safety. Protect them, all of them. They are good people and deserve your protection. And most of all protect Wolf, for I do not know what I should do without him."

She breathed deeply.

"And if necessary give me the courage to give my life in order to protect his."

"But most of all help us to make sure none of us is ever forced to put his life on the line for the other" a voice suddenly sounded behind her and she spun around and got aware of Wolf who was approaching her slowly "because I wouldn't know what to do either if I lost Kyla."

He stopped when he was right in front of her and kept looking at her with concern and worry but also love in his eyes. Kyla on the other hand refused to look at him and had her eyes looking down at the ground beneath her feet instead. He hadn't been supposed to hear her and now she felt ashamed and weak and she couldn't muster the strength to tell him why. For about a minute none of them said anything.

"Kyla" he whispered softly, breaking the silence. "Look at me!"

She shook her head and shifted uncomfortably. He sighed, put her hand under her chin and forced her to look up.

"Nothing's gonna happen to me" he said quietly. "I promise."

"You can't!" She felt surprised herself how weak her voice sounded; her words came out almost as a sob. She shook her head and tried to turn away to hide the tears in her eyes but he suddenly reached out and pulled her close.

"Don't do this" he warned her. "We have made no mistake, all of us made it this far and we will end this together. Nothing's gonna happen to me because that would mean I would not be able to be with you anymore and that's definitely something I will not let happen."

He paused for a moment and waited until he felt she had calmed down a little bit. He knew she had been placing herself under a lot of stress lately and he also knew she was worried about him whenever she wasn't around. On one side he felt glad for that for it showed him she really cared about him but on the other hand he knew this would eventually destroy her and what he had just heard had shocked him. Not only that she was willing to give her life for him but that she also prayed for it to be this way if necessary.

"And Kyla" he continued. "I don't want to hear you talk like that ever again. We are gonna make it and we're gonna make it together and that's and order, do you understand?"

She nodded and pulled him even closer and hid her face in the curve of his neck.

"I'm sorry" she whispered. "I didn't want to scare you. It's just…I'm afraid something terrible is going to happen and I feel like I can do nothing against it."

"We've been through a lot lately" he admitted "but you and I, we've been through a lot, too, and we've got the Colonel and the others. We will be okay in the end, I promise."

Somehow she believed him this time. She didn't know why but whenever he was around she felt safe, protected. She pulled back a little bit and looked at him.

"We are one weird couple."

"Yeah, but a good one!" He smiled when they recited the words they had spoken to each other in Fortress Delta after their first night. They were suddenly lost for words, grey eyes drowning in green ones and when their lips met it was not the passionate kiss of young lovers but of two people who knew that they belonged together and who were constantly afraid to lose each other. But together they knew they were strong enough to face whatever was about to come.

When they finally parted they refused to let go of each other and just enjoyed the closeness between them in silence.

"You should go down and sleep, Kyla" Wolf finally whispered. "I know you haven't slept in more than a week. I can take care of the guard duty."

"Okay" she nodded, "it's just…could I please sleep here? I feel better when I know you're around."

He smiled softly at her almost pleading gaze and nodded. They sat down and she leaned against him, her head against his shoulder while he placed a hand on her waist, holding her close. It only took her about a minute to fall asleep and Wolf smiled, looking at her from time to time before he returned his attention to the street below them again. When he started to softly caress her back in small circles she suddenly started to purr in her sleep; quietly, barely audible but just loud enough for his transgenic hearing to catch it. He looked at her again, surprised at first and then with a love that came from the deepest depths of his heart. In this moment he knew he would do anything for her.

"We're gonna be okay, Kyla" he murmured in a low voice and kissed her softly on the forehead. "I promise. But if necessary it's gonna be my life, not yours."

Behind them Max stood in the door that lead to the staircase and smiled. She had been right about Kyla but as it seemed she had also been right about her brother. He was a tough-hearted soldier, sure, but it seemed he was also more than able to care about her older sister. She stepped back without making a sound and disappeared into the staircase. They deserved to be left alone for a while.

* * *

Four days later a Manticore TAC team stormed the apartment where they supposed the fugitives but all they found was a small note on the table. Agent Sandoval who was in charge of the attack took it. It read:

'_Sorry Lizzy, too late again.'_

Sandoval gritted his teeth and ordered his mean to search the whole block but he knew it was a futile attempt. They were probably out of the city already.

What Sandoval didn't know was that the men and women he was after weren't just out of the city but out of the country already. Against all odds they had made it without being detected. Split up in four groups they had boarded planes which were already over the ocean and on their way to Europe when Sandoval's team stormed their old hideout. Each of them – whether transgenic or ordinary human – was lost in thoughts. They had left their country, not for a mission but because they had to hide. They were running from a deadly enemy and yet they knew that they would eventually return.

It wasn't just a thought or a possibility. They would return, they had to.

Neither of them could know at that time how hard the battle would be and how much it would cost them.

* * *

**Okay, so this is it, the end of the first book.**

**Once again I would like to thank all of you. You made me going on and you warned me when I was going too far, thank you very much.**

**Just remember, this isn't really the end of the journey, the journey itself has just begun.**

**Please give me some reviews of what you think, about the chapter and the whole story.**

**And keep in mind that I will PM my regular reviewers and those who review this last chapter as soon as the first chapter of the sequel is up. (Doesn't mean the regular reviewers don't have to review, though ;) )**

**I would like to end this with a quote I believe in and I think Max and her siblings do so, too.**

_**'SIC VIS PACEM PARA BELLUM' (If you want peace prepare for war)**_

**Thank you very much again and I hope to see you again in Hunting an Angel: The Fallen Ones**

**Tolen**


End file.
